It Takes Two for True Love
by kittygirl320
Summary: When the dark uncovers Tom Ward's true weakness, he is forced to make his final decision that will change his whole life around for good. Could it be that Tom isn't destined to just lead the lonely life of a spook as he thought?
1. Prologue

Previously in the world where the Wardstone rests…

A great, memorable battle, just one event after many in this time of terror, took place on Ward Peak with warriors who set out to destroy the Fiend once and for all along with his followers.  
They were successful, but there were many deaths along with heartache during the long battle.  
Having used the doomdryte in hopes of it being another way to put an end to the threat that cast a shadow of fear across the County, the world, even, the young witch Alice Deane unleashed a powerful mage called Lukrasta. And it's because of this mistake, Alice left the kind, gentle Thomas J. Ward for a being with a power so great, it could even match the powers of hell when combined to the girl's.  
It is because of this foolish mistake, after lives were lost during a battle that started on Pendle Hill and ended on Ward peak  
That this story begins…


	2. Stoned Walls

Alice Deane quietly slipped out of the bed so as not to wake the dark mage, dormant, beside her and tip-toed towards the window, her white nightgown trailing behind her in her wake. Her pale forearms leaned against the sill as she gazed out at the velvet night sky, relishing the tranquillity as a gentle breeze brushed softly past her rosy cheeks. Delicately, a few black ringlets by Alice's small ears danced in Evening's whispers.  
Big brown eyes closed, not one fibre of her body twitched as she absorbed the rare blissful moment of the little time Alice could get to herself.  
Finally, her eyes flickered open, pupils widening as they peered up at the twinkling white torches lighting up the sky.  
The young woman sighed longingly, clenching a fist as it pressed against her heart absent-mindedly. Ever since she'd spoken to Grimalkin and slipped in her palm a small envelope, Alice had wished with all her might each and every night that a certain young man would come and whisk her away from these stoned walls of a grim tower.

It had been five years since Alice had seen Tom Ward, since she'd last spoken to him (regrettably bitterly – but to protect him), since she'd glimpsed those tearful green eyes hardening in disgust; eyes that belonged to her childhood best friend who she loved. Tom Ward was the bearer of this witch's heart – not the mage snorting and grunting in a bed she wished with all her being she'd never succumbed to sharing with him.  
That thought in mind, Alice tore her gaze from the stars that stood freely in the sky and peered down at her dress, a frown marring her pretty face. The nightgown she'd been immorally furnished with, although white, was made out of a thin material and was all too revealing of her body for her liking. Alice's undergarments were easily seen and the nightgown had white embroidery. Half of her cleavage and the tops of her breasts were left uncovered by the fabric, her forearms left bare – not that that mattered. It wouldn't have made much a difference if the fabric covered these parts left exposed or not. It was one of the many things that Alice resented that corrupt mage, Lukrasta, for and what augmented her desperation to escape.  
Lukrasta's violence, corrupt ways and disturbing desires made Tom more frequent and vivid in Alice's dreams.  
Lukrasta's want for Alice became more lustful the older she got and almost every night – thankfully, tonight was an acception – Alice had to will a contraceptive spell. Strangely enough, each time she willed it, she got more easily tired with every use. But she continued with the spell, the woman could never bear Lukrasta a child. If that happened, then Alice's ambition to escape, all hopes of freedom, would be dashed forever.

Of course, Alice would never dare mention her yearn for the young man to Lukrasta. The only one Alice had told about her dreams and wishes was the one person Lukrasta allowed her to talk to: her companion, a young woman just a few years over her own age introduced three years prior called Nessa.  
However, dreams and wishes weren't the only things Alice shared with Nessa. She also talked about her fears: what if Tom could never find a way to understand Alice's true intentions and forgive her? What if he'd decided to forget and would never be her hero again? What if…  
Nessa had told Alice not long ago that there was no point pondering when enough was at stake for her.  
Remembering these wise words, Alice turned her back to the window, wringing her hands as she glared with narrow, hateful eyes over at the man who'd thrown away her happy ending.  
Suddenly recounting what her glares could do – disturb people's sleep – Alice hesitantly ripped her eyes from the bed and instead crept towards the mirror in front of its foot.

The witch sat on the stool and took in her appearance completely for the first time; no one was present to influence her own comments.  
Alice had grown into a fine young woman. Her long black hair had been elegantly curled and it was now glossy, her fringe swept to one side textured a little. Her dark eyes sparkled with health although emotionally, empty or scared whenever she was with Lukrasta. Her features were small and eloquent. She'd grown taller, slender and had developed lovely curves, as a woman of her age should.  
Alice laid a hand on her cheek and sighed, forlorn. How she longed to be with Tom instead, to be held in his arms and feel secure, safe and protected once more – as well as cared for. Yes, the refined young woman may have maintained her simple appearance and have limitations to the luxuries she had now, had she stayed with her desired love, but at least she'd have the one thing Lukrasta could never give her: a love some women would swoon over and die for.  
Laying a hand on the looking glass, as if it would show the face she desired to see again, Alice whispered shakily, "Miss you, Tom Ward, I do…with everything I am."  
A pool of tears welling in her eyes, Alice turned away from the mirror and slowly padded back towards the four-poster bed draped with black curtains and a golden quilt, like she was walking to her doom.

Alice crawled back into the revolting mage's arms, resting her head on his shoulder as he liked, quickly falling into another romantic fantasy of hers.  
All the while sleeping, the witch was oblivious to a pair of green eyes familiar to her, glaring at the cuddling, sleeping couple, filled with abhorrence.  
A girl with mousy hair appeared behind him. He turned his face away in disgust and the image faded.  
All that stood was once again an empty mirror with a white nature-themed frame, the glass reflecting the consequences of Alice's choices once more.


	3. Expecting

The following morning, Alice readied herself for the day she'd face.  
Fortunately, Lukrasta had gone off on a hunt again, so the maids had told her, before she'd woken up. All the woman had to face so far was the unbearable notion of her restrained will as the maids put her in her morning dress. It was a red dress with the bodice tied at the front. The dress was slim and so showed off Alice's curves, much to her distaste. The over-sleeves stopped at about her elbows and the tails came down to her ankles, the sleeves underneath long with red embroidery. Over her long curly black tresses, the maids crowned young Alice's head with a metal headdress.  
Alice's locks tumbled past her shoulders, braided into a half-up half-down hairstyle.  
After they'd dressed her and styled her hair, the maids left the room and closed the door, triggering a sigh of relief from her rouged lips. How Alice had valued her time alone ever since coming to the dark tower. She'd been ensnared for far too long here and her urge to run only increased with every passing day.  
Although given luxuries, Alice knew she was nothing more than a prisoner because she felt like she was being watched whenever she so much as set foot outside the room. There was hardly any room to breathe.

In a trice, the door burst open, interrupting Alice's thoughts. A woman with long dark hair tied back high, pale skin and dark eyes came striding towards Alice. She carried a little girl on her hip.  
Alice smiled welcomingly, thanking no one in particular that it wasn't anyone else.  
"Morning, Nessa," Alice greeted, crossing the room to meet her halfway.  
"Good morning, dear," Nessa replied.  
The two hugged, mindful of the little girl between them.

As they parted, Nessa rested her free hand on Alice's shoulder and looked her up and down, one eyebrow raised.  
"What he makes you wear…" she muttered in clear disapproval.  
Hearing that, Alice nodded in agreement before looking down at the little girl before her. Surprisingly, the girl was covered in lustrous thick black hair and her head resembled that of a dog's, or a wolf's, it was impossible to tell. Most disturbingly of all, the girl had a tail dangling from out of her periwinkle-lilac coloured dress. On the short puffed sleeves, white lace reached down to her elbows. Along the rounded neckline was a white cotton lace crochet collar.  
Alice couldn't help but feel uneasy about the child's appearance.  
"How old is she?" Alice asked, reaching to touch the little girl's miniscule hairy hand, trying to act as if she was unaffected.  
"She's three years old," Nessa replied, giving her friend a knowing look. "I know what you're thinking, Alice, don't deny it."  
"I ain't denying."  
"I know that Sable is different but it is because of who her father is."  
"…Who is her father?" Alice asked uncertainly.  
Nessa sighed and shook her head in hesitation for a moment while Alice felt her heart race. Had Nessa been forced to do things too? Alice didn't want her to suffer at Lukrasta's hand as she did.  
"Her father is Slither. He's a…"  
"Kobalos mage?"  
"No, no, Alice, it's not what you think. He's what's known as a Haizda mage. Basically, he owns where I lived and it's called his Haizda. He's good really and loves me and Sable. He picked her name because of her black fur, I was never forced into anything with a Kobalos mage…Aren't her eyes just adorable, Alice?"  
Alice looked at the girl's eyes and she had to admit, they were cute and pretty just like her mother's, only more round and bigger. She couldn't resist and stroked the child's cheek.  
"I guess she is cute."  
The little girl giggled like any other three year-old girl and Nessa chuckled.  
"See? It's bad judgement to judge a book by its cover. Now, how about a stroll in the garden?" Nessa suggested.  
And, linking arms, the two strode out of the room, Sable's eyes wide with delight. How she loved to run around in nature!

As soon as the women reached the garden, Nessa set her daughter down so she could go freely – and Sable ran. Sable ran on ahead and Nessa didn't bother to call her back. She'd prefer a quiet talk with Alice anyway. Turning her head to face Alice, she gave her a sympathetic gaze.  
"Alice?" she called gently, summoning her out of her daydream.  
"Oh!"  
Alice shook her head.  
"Tom Ward?" Nessa guessed.  
Alice nodded, bowing her head.  
"If he don't come, Nessa, then there ain't no point in escape. If I can't go back to Tom, there's nowhere else for me to go," Alice sighed.  
"Did you listen to anything I-"  
Alice nodded furiously.  
"I've tried, Nessa, but I…I just…I…miss him!" Alice cried.  
Nessa hugged her, stroking her hair in a motherly way.  
"Ssh, I know, it hurts. But then all you can do is wait. Just remember: if ever you decide to escape by other means, I'm sure Slither and I could help," she offered generously. "Now, dry your eyes. It's not healthy for a young woman like you to be sick over this."  
Nessa was right so, as they broke away, Alice wiped her tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.  
Suddenly, over Nessa's shoulder, it was in that precise moment after Alice had finished drying her eyes that she thought she saw a cloak: a black cloak. She knew exactly who that belonged to.  
"Alice?"  
No, that was ridiculous. Tom was back in Chipenden, Grimalkin had told her via mirror last time they spoke, with _her_. His new apprentice who had undoubtedly taken her place in his house and in his heart.  
That's why he hadn't come. She was the reason and now poor Alice was maddening herself with a fantasy that was never going to come true.  
Alice had to face the facts: Tom Ward was never going to rescue her.  
Shaking herself, Alice looked up at a worrying Nessa and shrugged.  
"Just my imagination. A bush rustled and I thought I saw something."  
Nessa shrugged.  
"Probably a bird or a rabbit. Come on," Nessa said, offering Alice her arm.  
Alice accepted and together, they continued their stroll, following in the elated little girl's trail.

The women had been walking through the garden for an hour when it suddenly happened.  
Nessa and Alice were still linking arms, Sable now joyously skipping by her mother's side. Then, Nessa froze in her tracks, tugging both either side of her to a halt also. Eyes widened in short bewilderment, Nessa let out a tiny yelp.  
Now it was Alice's turn to look concerned.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I thought I just saw…something. It looked like a staff of some kind…"  
After a look of apprehension, Nessa shook her head.  
"That's silly. There's nobody else in the garden but us. One of the scullery maids told me the gardener was granted the day off."  
The women unwrapped their arms from around each other as Alice's gaze shifted ahead suspiciously, almost hopeful and a new glint in her eyes twinkled for only a moment before it was gone again: Alice shook her head and the women and child continued on their way.

Soon after, Alice, after Nessa, suddenly came to the realisation they were facing the tower again. Nessa scooped Sable up into her arms, eliciting a girlish squeal from her daughter, and led the way back into the foreboding building.  
However, she stopped halfway and turned back round to face Alice, her eyebrow raised.  
"Well?"  
Alice shook her head as if she'd just snapped out of a trance. She was still at the bottom of the steps!  
"Hmm?"  
"Are you coming or would you rather face Lukrasta? He should be back any time soon."  
At the latter, Alice quickly nodded, picked up the front of her skirt and made her way up to her companion's side.  
As they walked inside, Alice paused for a moment, staring back behind her as if expecting something. After a minute or two of doing so, mainly due to Nessa's urgency, Alice shrugged and Nessa took her back up the stairs to hers and Lukrasta's room.  
What on Earth could that girl be thinking?


	4. I Need You

Alice, Nessa and Sable descended up the stoned steps, talking quietly. Nessa asked about what happened out in the garden, only to get the reply, "I'd ask you the same" with a frown on Alice's face.  
While Nessa changed the subject to Sable in praise, Alice's mind was elsewhere and she was struggling to keep to the same pace as Nessa so it looked like she was paying attention. Alice's mind had trailed back to Tom and she wondered briefly if he ever missed or at least thought of, even just a little, her.

Once they'd reached the bedroom, Alice was snapped out of her thoughts by Nessa's gasp then yelling, "Sable, slow down!"  
"Lukrasta not here yet, mammy. But look!" the little girl cried in excitement.  
Both Nessa and Alice exchanged looks before shrugging and following Sable inside, over to the window.

Sable was standing on the tips of her toes, hands pressed against the sill for support as she stared down wide-eyed at the ground below the window.  
Nessa scooped her little girl up and rested her on her hip before following her eyes, as did Alice, downwards.  
"What are we looking at?" Alice asked, confused. All she knew was they were looking down at some dark dewy grass below them.  
She received no reply as the three continued looking below them.  
Nessa then broke the silence by scolding, "What have I told you about this? You're not at home, Sable, you can't just go running in here whenever-"  
"Oh, but I saw someone, mammy!" the child insisted. "I saw a man and a big girl."  
Nessa rolled her eyes while Alice's heart jumped into her mouth. Her hopes were raised again. Could it be…  
"What did they look like, darling?" Nessa asked her, catching the hope in Alice's big brown eyes.  
"The man wore a black cloak so I didn't see a lot. The big girl did too but her hood wasn't on her head. She had…brown hair."  
"Brown hair, darling?"  
"Mmhm," Sable answered her mother proudly.  
"Was the man carrying a staff?" Alice asked, faithful.  
Sable just shrugged as she looked up at Alice.  
"I think so."  
"Well…did they see you?" Nessa asked sensibly to try and avoid Alice's heartbreak as her hopes were ruined.  
"They looked up…I don't think they saw me. Then they walked away. Who are they?" Sable asked Alice.  
Hurt misted over Alice's eyes. Determined not to cry, she sighed heavily and shrugged.  
"No one. Let's get away from the window," Alice replied shakily.  
Nessa nodded with empathy and sat on the wooden stool in front of the dressing table, hauling Sable up onto her lap. Alice took her seat on the end of the bed, facing Nessa.

Another fifteen minutes or so and a man dressed in a long-sleeved black tunic with elaborate embroidery along the edges and intricate shapes on the dark leather belt strode in. He also wore dark trousers and boots coming up to his knees.  
As the man bowed low, his long dark hair waved forwards slightly as he announced, "Me lady, Lukrasta has returned and is on his way up."  
Alice nodded her thanks faintly and, with a final nod, the messenger exited the room.  
Nessa got to her feet.  
"Right, well then, I'd better go, Alice. Remember, don't sicken yourself over him," she said, bouncing the little girl on her hip as she started to slip a little.  
Alice nodded and with that, Nessa and her daughter left.

When Lukrasta finally entered, Alice unwillingly forced herself to embrace him. As they broke apart, Lukrasta took off his dark cloak and draped it over one of the chairs facing a fireplace.  
As he did so, he asked, "So, any _interesting_ visits today?" he demanded.  
"Only Nessa," Alice replied quietly.  
Lukrasta's face grew dark and menacing.  
"Don't lie to me, woman! You saw him today, didn't you?"  
"Saw _who_?" Alice was panicking now. Once Lukrasta was infuriated, there was no way to remove herself from the danger.  
He stormed towards her, pinning her up against the wall behind her by the shoulders. Lukrasta pushed his knee between her legs and pressed himself against her.  
Alice tried to escape his grasp as his hands squeezed tighter by the second on her shoulders.  
"Y-you're hurting m…let go!" she cried.  
"Not until you tell me the truth. The servants saw him directly below the window!"  
Alice's heart skipped a beat, her eyes brightening with a new shine that had disappeared years ago; it had now returned. So she hadn't been imagining things. Tom Ward really had been here!  
However, as she finally looked up at Lukrasta, her eyes widened with fear. He looked outraged and ready to slaughter her. But he couldn't, surely. He'd told her once before he needed her for her power.  
"Not going to answer, no? Then it's about time for you to pay," he growled dangerously.  
Alice squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to rip off her dress or push her onto the bed. Or maybe beat her, or use his power to torture her?  
Instead, she felt his lips crush hers, abruptly pushing his tongue into her mouth. Alice knew she had to kiss him back. But as soon as she did so, she felt as though an unseen rock was crashing down on her head.  
Oh, she so hoped Tom was still nearby. If he was, she needed him to rescue her _now_!

By the time she realised he wouldn't risk it in daylight and tried to protest by biting Lukrasta's tongue, it was too late: she was consumed by darkness and slid down the wall when Lukrasta finally released her.

* * *

"Where am I?"  
Alice took in her whereabouts, puzzled, seeing that she was clearly no longer in that cold tower in Cymru anymore. She looked down and gasped as she realised she was no longer wearing that obscene dress. In it's place, she wore a pretty dark gown with a sweetheart neckline and silver buttons at the front of the bodice, her shoulders left bare; a lot less scandalous than the ones Lukrasta made her wear, however. The A-line dress fell below her knees. Her long curly hair cascaded down her back and her feet were now bare too.  
"You're stunning, Alice," came a familiar voice, so familiar that she raked her brain to try and remember who that voice belonged to.  
Lukrasta, maybe?  
"Who are you? Show yourself!"  
A figure stepped out of the shadows opposite Alice and stood in front of her.  
Alice still couldn't see his face.  
"You don't recognise me? We haven't been apart that long."  
No, no, it couldn't be Lukrasta – his voice was deeper than that.  
Alice cocked her head as she studied him. He was tall, at least a head taller than her, and he had a muscular build – not as muscular as Lukrasta, mind, but to Alice, that was a good sign.  
"Come into the light," she urged.  
He stepped forward and his face was slowly unmasked by the dim light in the room and the moonlight flooding in from the small four-paned window behind Alice. His green eyes locked with Alice's brown ones, his slightly-long brown hair tied back. The young man's skin was pale and he gave her a warm smile, so warm, she then immediately knew who he was. For no one else could melt her heart like he did.  
"Tom?"  
His smile broadened as he moved in closer, his hand taking hers.  
"I-I don't understand," she said faintly as he gave her hand an affectionate squeeze.  
"You've been dreaming of me ever since you left, haven't you? This is just another."  
"What are we going to do?"  
Tom was now so close, she could feel the heat radiating from his strong chest.  
"It's your dream, isn't it? It's whatever you make it."  
Alice's eyes continued to gaze into his for a moment before she gathered up all her courage and did something she should not have ran away from a long time ago: she wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed his lips. She didn't know how, but she could tell that no other woman had done this yet.  
Tom's hands slid down to her lower back as he deepened their kiss. Alice parted her lips slightly to allow Tom to explore. She'd never done this willingly before and yet she felt no hesitation or shy. After all, this was once the boy who stole her heart. Now he was the man who maintained it, and she wanted to kiss him forever.  
Alice moaned into his mouth and her hands explored his well-defined chest.  
Tom's lips moved down to her jawline and then her neck where he sucked gently, then her collarbone.  
Alice was stirred and felt a growing warmth inside her, travelling down further and further still. His hands moved up to caress her breasts, eliciting a moan from Alice who then pressed against him, feeling something grow between them. It was indescribable, but the feeling felt as though it was something that had always been there, just never kindled.  
Tom broke away and took a small step back.  
"Have you done this before?"  
Alice shook her head, closing the space between them once more.  
"Not willingly. Only want you, Tom, I do," she said honestly.  
Tom grinned, scooped her up into his arms, then claimed her mouth once again.  
Both knew what was coming.

* * *

Alice's eyes shot open and she clutched her heart in pain – both physically and mentally – trying to focus on the dream. That had been the most vivid one she'd ever had but now it was clouded by the pain and confusion throbbing in her head. Alice could taste Tom's lips against hers and she licked them, wishing to savour that moment forever should she never get out of her stoned imprisonment.  
She didn't want to, but Alice looked about her. She was sitting on the cold flagstones, legs spread out, slumped against the hard stoned wall next to the bed, Alice's body facing the window opposite her.  
Deciding she needed some fresh air, Alice pushed herself off the floor and struggled out onto the balcony, gritting her teeth as the door closed behind her with a click.

Leaning against the balustrade for support, Alice clasped her hands together and sighed into the cool nightly air. Gazing out across the forest bathed in silver moonlight, she said quietly, "Where are you, Tom? Miss you, I do, more than you'd ever realise. I need you."  
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she remembered why she'd been sprawled on the floor. What _had_ Lukrasta done to her?  
Although it shouldn't have been, the biggest question to Alice was: where was Tom now?  
Stranded in her thoughts, she was unaware of a girl climbing up onto the balcony and approaching her from behind.


	5. Time For Vengeance

"It's beautiful out here," remarked a female voice unfamiliar to Alice.  
Alice jumped out of her skin and spun around to find a girl with mousy brown hair frowning, arms folded. Although they'd never met, Alice had seen this girl a few times when she'd used a mirror to see Tom or had, a good few years back when Lukrasta had permitted her to (once upon a time), used the power she had to transport herself to the edge of the western garden. That was when she'd often see either the girl standing before her now writing in her notebook or Tom giving his apprentice theory lessons or physical training.  
Alice's heart fell with the painful reminder that this girl was Tom's apprentice.  
"What are you doing here?" She couldn't help the hostility in her voice; this was the girl who'd replaced her in Tom's life.  
"You should already know," the girl scoffed, "You're the one who sent Tom the letter."  
Alice gasped and her heart began to race.  
"Is he with you? Is he all right?"  
"He's just fine. At least he was until _you_ left _him_ …five years ago, I believe?" the girl scolded, the definition of sarcasm in the tone she used. It was like she was berating Alice when she didn't know half of what had happened. She only knew how Tom had felt – not the facts.  
"What do you mean _was_?" Alice demanded impatiently.  
"I _mean_ you broke his heart and thanks to your little letter, he was mending until you sent him that. Ever since then, he's been less focused on spook's business and training _me_. It's my last year as his apprentice as well. Tom's just been absolutely miserable thanks to you," the girl grumbled.  
Alice gawped. Could this be a trick? Were her ears deceiving her?  
No, it couldn't be a trick. Behind those angry, inimical eyes of hers, Alice could see sorrow and worry in the girl's eyes.  
"You seriously think _I_ ain't been miserable? Been nothing but that since I left him. Left Tom to protect him, I did, but that's complicated. I use a mirror just to see his face," Alice retorted.  
"Well, so does Tom. But each time he does use a mirror, all he sees is you and that mage, Lukrasta…"  
"Who are you to judge? Made to do that, I am, to survive and so Tom is safe from him. If I refused…" Tears welled in Alice's eyes at the thought.  
The girl's voice became much more kindly this time when she spoke.  
"Tom hates you for leaving him but I think he wants you to return too. I know he needs you and as much as I disapprove, I now know you need him."  
Alice bit her bottom lip. What this girl was stating disturbed her greatly; it made her uncomfortable to hear what she'd done to Tom when she only meant well, but still, she'd never heard truer words.  
"What's your name?" Alice asked softly.  
"Jenny…Jenny Calder."  
"Well, Jenny, I think then you should know why else I left. Not just to protect him, but also 'cos I thought he never felt the same."  
"He told me he didn't realise until you left, Alice. Tom understands he should've told you when he had the chance but he was scared."  
"Is he even with you, Jenny?" Alice asked again, her voice hardly more than a whisper.  
Jenny nodded.

Just then, someone else climbed up and Jenny turned to help him up onto the balcony. His hood threw itself back as she helped him onto his feet and straightened himself up.  
Alice clamped her hand over her mouth in surprise, almost in awe.  
Tom looked exactly how he had in her dream and Alice coloured a little as she remembered. He also noticed the changes in her – how womanly she'd become and how healthy she looked. But, around her eyes, the skin was slightly darkened and it made Tom uncomfortable. It looked like she hardly got any sleep.  
Tom shook his head and forced himself to meet Alice's eyes.  
"Well, Alice, I got your letter and we came. So what was it you wanted to tell me?" He struggled to keep his voice business-like but Alice didn't notice. His voice still didn't sound at all friendly and it still felt business-like to Alice – so much like his deceased master, Old Gregory's – and it chilled her to the bone.  
"Actually, I'd rather talk to you in private," Alice hinted.  
Tom nodded towards Jenny who then, hesitantly, climbed over the balustrade and back down the balcony with care.

"Tom, I'm-" she paused. What could she say? She was beyond forgiveness and she knew it, but even if he wouldn't take her away from here, she'd at least explain why she left in the first place.  
"Do you really believe I love Lukrasta?" she asked softly, taking a careful step towards him.  
"I've seen enough," he answered brusquely. "That night up here when I first saw you two, I was watching from the trees when I was going to rescue you, and then last night I saw the way you cuddled through the mirror."  
Alice smiled gently and walked towards him before taking his hands in hers.  
"Ain't real, Tom, everything you saw, none of it was real. Only did that so Lukrasta wouldn't hurt you, I did. But you need to understand, that day I left was hard for me too but I agreed 'cos I didn't think you felt that way about me. Can't wait forever, can I? Forever's a very long time, Tom, but my heart's always belonged to you, never left you, but what would've happened if I had stayed? Would I have ever heard the word 'love', or would that always be a fantasy for me – a fantasy out of reach?"  
Tom tried to pull away but Alice held onto his hands.  
"Listen, Tom, dreamed of you each and every night since I came here, I did. Whenever I close my eyes, even daydreaming, I always get visions of us together, living in Chipenden as…I gave you my heart several years ago and only one person in the whole world gets that, whether you want it or not."  
Tom's lips curved into a smile for the first time, almost one of relief.  
"So how has it been – living here?"  
"Horrid, Tom. Lukrasta makes me do things I don't want to do! He…"  
Tears streamed again and Tom pulled out of Alice's grasp to wipe her tears away.  
"You really do regret it, don't you?" he asked, almost hopeful.  
Alice nodded.  
"Do you want to come back to Chipenden?"  
"I-I want nothing more!"  
Subsequently, the pair hugged tightly, rocking back and forth as Tom stroked her hair to try and soothe her. Alice could nearly feel the loving in his tender touch return to her.

"Well, well…" a voice growled after the click of a door, a wicked laugh echoing after. "Isn't this just touching?"  
Both Tom's and Alice's eyes widened as she spun around to face the door.  
Standing under the moonbeams with the shadows lurking behind him was a tall man with a long moustache that fell below his chin and hooked upwards like two bullhorns. His long hair was tied back and he looked maddened, like a predator ready to kill.  
"Lukrasta!" she gasped, eyes narrowing in hatred, trying to hide the dread and shock in them.  
"Oh, what, Alice? Hoped I wouldn't catch you with him? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but the game's up."  
Alice's eyes widened again in terror as Lukrasta's shifted towards Tom with a fiery gaze.  
Fortunately, as he strode towards Tom with his hand on the hilt of his sword, Alice lunged forward and swiped his cheek hard with her hand.  
"Bitch!" Lukrasta gasped as he stumbled down on one knee.  
As he clasped his cheek, momentarily stunned, Alice turned back to Tom.  
"Go, Tom, now! Be all right, I will, just go, please!" she pleaded.  
Tom left upon hearing the urgency in her voice. It wouldn't have made much a difference because she might've used her magic otherwise, Tom thought.

"He got away," Alice cried in relief.  
So relieved was Alice, she didn't notice Lukrasta gathering himself together, climbing to his feet, and coming up behind her. Then he grabbed her hair, tightening it in his fist.  
"Oh? Which is more than you will," he growled in her ear as she yelped.  
Lukrasta threw her on the floor and climbed on top of her, straddling her. He leaned down and kissed her hard, pushing his tongue past her lips.  
Alice couldn't breathe and struggled furiously; kicking and trying to protest against his tongue, her cheeks turning purple. Lukrasta grabbed her wrists, pinned them down beside her head and grinned maliciously, his eyes still red with rage.  
"Struggle all you like, my beauty. No one's coming and unlike Thomas Ward, I'd prefer absorbing all your innocence and power than stealing your feeble, mortal heart."  
Before Alice could ponder his harsh words, his lips were crushing hers once more and this time, the pressure on her head came much more quickly.  
Yet again, after darkness, the young witch knew no more.

Satisfied, Lukrasta climbed off her and wiped his lips. He frowned down at the little wench with a peaceful, angelic look on her pale face.  
"The moment will come soon when you will never have that look on your face ever again," he glowered at her unconscious body.  
"Guard!" Lukrasta called angrily, far more loudly as he snapped his head back up.  
A guard appeared out on the balcony in seconds. A snout poked out from the helmet and his armour was made of a shiny black metal with silvery intricate detail along the edges, a silver symbol of a skull with pointy rotting ears and bony wings on the breastplate.  
"Aye, sir!" he saluted.  
"Carry Miss Deane down to the dungeons. It's finally time for vengeance and this time, there'll be no mercy…no mistakes," Lukrasta spoke darkly.  
The guard nodded in understanding, grinning through his snout himself and, obediently, he picked Alice up effortlessly and, over his shoulder, carried her back inside.

Once the guard was out of sight, Lukrasta glared down at the now-wild forest below. The trees were shaking vigorously and leaves were shooting everywhere.  
"You won't live this time, Thomas Ward!" 


	6. You're the Cause of His Doom

Alice peeled her eyes open as slowly as she could; an exploding, throbbing pain in her head and dreading who could've been standing, towering over her, glaring and sneering. Opening her eyes to the realisation no one was there, she tried to take in her surroundings and noticed she was lying on a cold floor made of dark fractured flagstones that fitted together like a puzzle.  
With great struggle, Alice lifted her head, which tolled a few clicks in her neck and a sharp pain shooting from her fingertips down to her elbow on her right arm she'd been laying on. At the sound of several rattles of chains, Alice's eyes widened sharply and she snapped her head back to face a dark brick wall, the bricks bound by black mortar. When Alice saw a chain linked to the wall, fear built up and quickened the pace of her heart. It didn't stop there; the chain was split into two. As her eyes trailed further along these iron chains, her fear was confirmed: her ankles and wrists were shackled.  
When Alice's head returned to face the iron bars holding her in this loathsome, dreadful captivity, her eyes then darted all around the gloom in search for Lukrasta before helplessly tugging at her chains.  
"Help?" she whispered lamely, tentatively.  
What was she doing? Nobody was down in this eerie prison but her – who was there to hear her?  
Alice wondered whether she should try conjuring a mirror and contacting Tom, but there was no doubt about it: this was no different from fishing and she was the bait. She wanted…no…she _needed_ him to stay far away.  
Alice's heart missed a beat as she overviewed the situation. What did Lukrasta have planned? More importantly, was she going to survive this time? Quite frankly, that was more of a faint question to Alice because her answer was: she couldn't care less. At least she got to see Tom one last time and finally see that heart-warming smile for real rather than in her dreams.

Suddenly, as if on queue, the door opened with a clang and Lukrasta strode in.  
"You're finally awake, my beauty. It won't be long now," he teased, approaching Alice and kneeling on one knee.  
Alice scrambled into a sitting position before he grabbed her chin and tugged towards him roughly.  
"Why are you doing this, Lukrasta? What's your game? 'Cos you can't win. Once Pan learns you've broken the-"  
"Ah, but don't you see, Alice? Haven't you noticed anything? No matter how many times I've dominated you – in more ways than one – Pan has never appeared. It would seem he's given up on the deal. So you are of no use to him. Do you know what that means? It means I can do what I like with you. He may have no use for you, but I have plenty."  
Lukrasta grinned malevolently and his free hand slid to her breast, squeezing hard through the dress. Alice gasped in pain and her body jerked forward without her consent.  
"What makes you think Tom will come? Ain't stupid, is he?" Alice cried.  
"Of course he will, stupid girl. You've already, foolishly, told him briefly what we've been up to and he won't be able to stand it."  
Alice's eyes looked downcast at the flagstones in shame.  
"Odd, isn't it, my beauty? No matter how much knowledge you gather, you will always be naïve against my forces."  
Alice glared up at him with teary eyes, bloodshot with anger.  
"With pride comes a fall, Lukrasta. Maybe _you're_ the one that's naïve. I ain't stupid, Lukrasta, you are. You're too blind to see: ain't no match for Tom, Lukrasta, so your thirst for revenge can't be quenched," she said defiantly.  
"Haven't you learnt already, Alice? You're no match for me. I don't intend on hurting you just yet. It will be more fun if Thomas Ward witnesses for himself what we've been up to; I don't believe he's ever seen us in action. When will you realise? You're the cause of his doom, Alice. Think about that," Lukrasta lectured, throwing Alice's head back as he released her chin and got to his feet.

"Tom's beat you before!" Alice yelled after Lukrasta before he'd left the cell.  
Lukrasta turned back to face her, arms crossed and frowning.  
"Stupid girl! This time, he'll be lured into my territory where there are no means of escape. This is a heavily watched and guarded tower, don't forget, Alice. Even if, somehow, you two did manage to escape, do you really think one friendly hug is enough to undo what you did to your friendship?"  
Alice gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth.  
"You mean you never actually…"  
Lukrasta let out a menacing laugh.  
"Of course not, my _dear_. My only aim was to steal your power all along. It's nearly drained now and when Tom finds out, he will find no use for you either."  
Alice's lip trembled.  
"You're wrong," she argued weakly. Although deep down, a part of her worried about that. She _feared_ that and Lukrasta _knew_ it. He was _loving_ it.  
"Am I? We'll see when you two are reunited. Let's see how long that hard resolve of yours lasts. But first, I have two things planned for you. The first, I will repeat again: it will be more fun if Thomas Ward witnesses for himself what we've been up to…"  
Lukrasta's dark, soulless eyes flashed to something of a hunger Alice had seen multiple times before and felt nauseous whenever she saw it. He leaned closer to Alice, breathing on her neck as she looked away.  
"I wonder how much pain our Chipenden Spook would be in if he watched me ravage this body right in front of him…"  
Alice's eyes widened as she struggled frantically.  
"You wouldn't!" she screeched, her only reply being an amused chuckle.  
Lukrasta had to be bluffing. He wouldn't…right in front of…him?  
No, he would. He favoured torment – especially when it would bring him pleasure.  
Alice was shaking as his hand caressed her cheek then travelled down her neck, over her shoulder, over her collarbone and down to her cleavage.  
Desperate to interrupt him, although she dreaded his answer, Alice asked, "What's your second plan for me?"  
Lukrasta leaned towards her ear and whispered seductively, ripping her bodice a little to reveal her cleavage, "You'll see."  
With that, he stood up and examined her.  
"I believe a change of clothes are an order."  
Lukrasta waved his hand but Alice's hopes weren't high. She looked down to find herself wearing a dress that, although black, still disgusted her. It was made of a velvet material, the short sleeves flaring out from her wrists. The skirt, to her horror, was slim and, as discovered when her left leg bent at the knee, was split mid-thigh at the front between her legs. On her feet were dark pointy shoes and on the dress was a thin piece of silver string tied loosely at the waist, round by the front. Another thing about the dress that irritated Alice was that the neckline was in a low pentagon shape.  
Alice looked up to protest but Lukrasta had already left the dungeon altogether, the door locked once more. Alice reached up and checked her hair to find the headdress gone and she knew his reason for the way she was dressed. Oh, she knew exactly what and she didn't like it one bit.

Pondering on Lukrasta's words, Alice knew she had to escape somehow. But she couldn't rely on Tom and let him risk his life. This time, he had no guarantee for survival at all. Then she knew she had to get a message to him to keep far away.  
Now Alice knew she didn't have a lot of power left, but knowing she had a little, she hoped she was still able to conjure a hand-held mirror.  
Fortunately, after closing her eyes and concentrating hard enough while holding out her hands flat, a mirror nestled in her palms when her eyelids opened. Smiling with relief before shaking her head, reminding herself to focus, Alice placed both hands on the frame of the mirror and held it out in front of her, the thumbs laying on the glass.  
Alice focused on the most redeeming feature of the formidable witch assassin from her real mother's, Bony Lizzie's, clan. She focused on her dark, mysterious eyes and her long wild black hair, as well as the symbol Grimalkin carved to mark her territory – a pair of scissors.  
Alice opened her eyes. All she could see was her own reflection.  
So she tried again and thought harder. This time, Alice focused on the way the Malkin witch assassin fought in battle and her famous tactic: her 'dance of death'.  
Still, when Alice opened her eyes, she could only see her own face.  
Why wasn't it working? Alice's Aunt Agnes Sowerbutts had always told her that using a mirror didn't require any source of natural power.  
No, Alice was doing fine. She just wasn't concentrating on Grimalkin's most memorable features. It wouldn't hurt to give it one more try; Alice literally had the rest of her life to try.  
All right, third time lucky. This time, Alice thought about the one thing that sent most running. The one thing that made Grimalkin's enemies think twice. The one thing she was most well-known for: the pointy teeth in her smile that made her unique – which Alice respected and liked about her.  
Alice waited for a few moments before warily opening her eyes once more as she felt the glass underneath her thumbs warm up. Looking up at her wasn't her reflection: it was Grimalkin!  
Grimalkin's eyes grew wide when she noted the tears stained in Alice's eyes and on her cheeks.

 _There isn't much time. Tom needs to be warned. Lukrasta is aiming to trap and kill him and this time, if Tom comes, there will be no return. Tell him I ain't worth it. Warn him, Grimalkin, please!_

Somehow, Grimalkin managed to catch all of that and understood.  
She nodded and told Alice she'd tell Jenny to stop him.  
Alice nodded in gratitude and Grimalkin's face faded back into Alice's reflection once more.

Alice was confident Grimalkin wouldn't fail passing on her message like she'd done with the letter. The real question was would Tom obey? Would he even listen to the whole message? She hoped Jenny would stop him. Alice cared for him too much to let him run to his death.


	7. Disarmed and Bound

Alice didn't realise she'd fallen asleep until she heard a familiar voice whispering to her. She felt fingers softly run through the tresses covering her left cheek and her eyes didn't flutter open until she heard that gentle voice become urgent.  
She sat up and turned around to meet frightened green eyes.  
"Tom…What are you doing here? Someone will-"  
"I had to be sure you were all right. I'm getting you away from here, Alice…now!"  
Tom plucked out his special key from under his shirt but as he went to unlock the shackles binding Alice's wrists, she grasped the collar of his shirt, hands shaking and tears welling.  
"Listen, Tom. It's a trap! Desperate for revenge, Lukrasta, you've got to get out now!"  
Tom shook his head.  
"I'm not leaving you in _his_ hands."  
"Lukrasta will kill you! Just go, Tom, please. The County…no…the _world_ needs you, Tom. Don't need me, does it?"  
Tom's eyes locked with her brown ones and she saw a hardened resolve.  
"No, Alice, this time, I know best and there's no way I'm leaving you here," he replied in a strong voice that made Alice's eyes widen in shock and fall silent. It made Alice's heart race and it wasn't just the tone he was using. His voice had become more masculine than the last time and she recalled how she used to tease him about his voice just before they'd found out he was being sent to Bill Arkwright in Caster…

* * *

"I can't believe you won again!" Tom exclaimed, springing to his feet once Alice had rolled off him.  
She shot up at the sudden change in pitch of his voice mid-sentence. First, she clamped her hand over her mouth in surprise, then laughed hysterically, hard. So hard she almost collapsed on the grass.  
"What's so funny?" Tom frowned at the hysterical Alice before him. Her cheeks resembled a beetroot already.  
"Oh…Tom…oh…your voice…didn't you notice? Went high, mid-sentence, it did…means it's breaking, that!" she cried of laughter teasingly.  
Tom's cheeks burned with embarrassment.  
"I don't find it funny!" he argued indignantly.  
At that, Alice clamped her lips together, but it was just too difficult not to laugh. All the same, she walked up to him.  
"Come on, Tom, don't be like that. Just means you're turning into a man, it does."  
Alice was on the verge of giggling loudly again.  
"But you've got to admit…it's hilarious!" she told him, trying to stifle a snicker.  
Tom couldn't tell whether it was the way Alice suddenly laughed again about the whole thing, or if she'd made him realise the comical side of it. Gradually, he cracked a smile and laughed along with her.  
"All right, Alice…you win!"  
Both Tom and Alice, once started, found themselves unable to stop laughing – until the door to the house swung open.  
"Now what's all this about?" came a bellow from the man Alice disliked for his harsh attitude towards her: John Gregory.

* * *

At the memory of that man, Alice snapped back out of the clouds. Old Gregory always ruined her good memories when he came into them. Alice then looked down to find Tom now unlocking the shackles binding her ankles as she inattentively rubbed her sore wrists that she hadn't realised he'd freed.  
Once the shackles fell with a clang, Tom held out his hands and helped Alice to her feet. She gazed up into his green eyes, lost for words as her hands rested lightly on his forearms, his hands cupping her elbows with his thumbs caressing absent-mindedly.  
Both had the desire to lean in and kiss the other but they restrained. Not only had things changed, but also this was neither the time nor the place.

The moment was interrupted when the cell door flew open with a clang, followed by a growl that demanded Tom's attention and his head snapped towards the door. Standing there was his worst enemy.  
"Thomas Ward. I told you he'd come, didn't I, Alice?" he asked, nodding towards her.  
He received no reply as she muttered something under her breath and glared up at him.  
Suddenly, Lukrasta fell to his knees and let out a yell of agony. While the guards behind him were all distracted with helping their master to his feet, Alice turned back to face Tom, pushing him away from her slightly.  
"Go, Tom!" she pleaded, tears falling.  
With a desperate look towards her, he ran past the guards and was almost climbing the stairs when he froze dead in his tracks. Lukrasta called after him darkly and when he turned back, Tom's eyes widened in horror. Knotted in Lukrasta's burly fist was Alice's black hair. While he was on his feet, Alice was down on her knees, her neck strained by Lukrasta tugging her hair brutally.  
Tom's hand reached down and tightened on the hilt of his sword, the Starblade, gritting his teeth and planning whatever attack plan he could quickly conjure. His other hand tightened around his rowan wood staff and he knew he had the silver chain at his disposal tucked under his shirt as well.  
"Do you really want to be the cause, Tom? Give in now and I won't hurt her…There's a good lad," Lukrasta mocked.  
Alice whimpered but still shook her head.  
"Don't, Tom, get out now and don't come back! Be all right knowing you're safe, I will…ah!" she cried out as Lukrasta leaned down and grasped her throat, tightening his grip slightly.  
Tom was torn. He couldn't go near unless he had a death wish but he couldn't let the last part of the prophecy told to him a few years back come true either – he couldn't let Alice die for him.  
"Let her go, Lukrasta!" he yelled.  
"If you want me to treat you like a boy, Tom, I can do that. So, I'll count to three and tighten my grip with every second. On three, this little witch will die and I will catch you anyway. One."  
Tom looked over at Alice with a panic-stricken expression as she gasped, Lukrasta's hand clenching around her throat a little more.  
"Alice-"  
"Two." Lukrasta's fist tightened in her hair as well as his hand constricting her throat.  
"Lukrasta, why are you-"  
"T-Tom…please…" she gasped.  
Lukrasta readied his hold to tighten at its hardest. Silently with eyes watering, Tom walked back into the cell, defeated. He was unable to look at Alice as Lukrasta threw her to the floor like she was dirt while two guards disarmed and bound him tightly. What could Tom do against a group of guards and a powerful mage, anyway?  
Alice screamed in outrage, although not as loudly as she could've done, as he was brought to his knees by the heavy ropes. The Starblade was given to Lukrasta while the guards took the silver chain and rowan wood staff. How could Tom not once _try_ to put up a fight?  
Finally, his frightened eyes found hers and he saw nothing but fear and sadness. Lukrasta barked at all the guards to follow him up the stairs and bring Tom with them.  
Lukrasta looked back at Alice, his fiery eyes sparked with triumph.  
"My greatest thanks, my _sweet_ , for making this possible."  
As Lukrasta strode out with the guards behind him, the jailer locked the cell door once more and Alice threw her head in her hands.  
"I-It's all my fault. Don't deserve to die, Tom don't," she cried out to the gloom.


	8. Your Fates Are in My Hands Now

Throughout the course of the remainder of the morning, and the whole of the afternoon, Alice sat alone in the hard cold cell. No one came to visit her so she had nobody to ask what was happening to Tom and why it was taking so long. Not only did she wonder briefly why Lukrasta hadn't even allowed Nessa to visit her, before falling to the realisation he'd suspect she'd try to assist in Tom's and Alice's escape, but her imagination listed all the possible methods of torture Lukrasta could be using on him.  
Eventually, Alice started expecting Lukrasta to send some sort of sign that her childhood best friend was dead. Tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks as visions of Tom being tortured until he yielded entered her mind's eye.

The moon was high in the sinister night sky when the cell door opened again. Something was tossed into the cell like a sack of potatoes and there was too little light – except for the few moonbeams shining in through the small square window and the sconces on the walls inside the dungeons, of course – to see what. Alice crawled closer to find a human figure sprawled on the floor.  
"Alice," came the quivering voice.  
Alice gasped and didn't waste a second in moving to rest his head across her lap and stroke his cheek. As she did so, her thumb discovered a thin line of something hot and sticky running the length of his face, opposite to the scar Lukrasta had given him five years ago on the left side of his face, trickling down. When she leaned closer, Alice could see that he'd taken a bad beating: long, thin lines of blood were slashed on Tom's chest, she could just about see through his white shirt soaked with sweat, and realised her thumb had discovered a single bloody cut running from his eye down to his jawbone.  
Alice was speechless as she ripped a piece of the material from her dress and attempted to clean his wounds after unbuttoning his shirt. Her warm tears washed his wounds as she tended to him.  
"I'm sorry, Tom. I-I don't know what to say," she whispered weakly as she dabbed the cut on his face, as gently as she could manage.  
Tom's hand found hers in the darkness and he squeezed affectionately.  
"It's not your fault, Alice. Five years ago, I might've said otherwise but now I'm understanding why you left. I never said the nicest things to you that day, either."  
Tom smiled up at her and she smiled back. After cleansing the slashes on his chest, she helped him to sit up so she could clean his back. If only she had enough power left to perform a healing spell.  
As she cleaned the slashes similar to the ones on his chest, Tom only flinched once or twice but gritted his teeth all the while the material trailed up and down his wounds. A whip, Alice could tell even only with the moonbeams and sconces on the walls for light, caused all of these slashes.  
When Alice helped him turn back round to return to the cut on his face, she had to ask.  
"How did you…How did Lukrasta manage-"  
"The same as five years ago," Tom shrugged.  
"Oh, Tom, I r-really am…sorry!" she cried, knowing he must've faced such humiliation as Lukrasta beat him unfairly.  
Seeing Tom like this because of a mage's lust for revenge over a piteous thing only greatened Alice's hate and anger. Five years ago, Tom had defeated Lukrasta in combat fair and square – that was the difference – where as he was now defenceless against Lukrasta's forces. They were both away from where they felt comfortable and secure last time, now Lukrasta had beat Tom where only _he_ was at _his_ strongest.

Once the material dropped on the flagstones, Tom pulled Alice into his embrace and stroked her hair.  
"It ain't fair, Tom, none of this is. Cruel, Lukrasta, but if only I hadn't been so…stupid…w-we wouldn't…" she wept onto his shoulder.  
"Sh-sh-shh…no more tonight, Alice, no more tears. We're together now and that's what matters," Tom reassured her soothingly.  
The comforting tone in his voice made Alice look up into his green eyes and their gaze was maintained for only a second.  
"Kiss me, Tom, if something happens then…the one thing I want to remember is your lips," Alice told him quietly, although he didn't fail to catch the urgent plea in her voice.  
Tom didn't know why but before he even knew it himself, his lips met hers softly. Alice responded by leaning up on her knees and tentatively running her tongue along his bottom lip. She gasped at the tingling sensation as he complied, wide-eyed at first before sliding them shut again, and cautiously thrust his tongue into her wet cave.  
They both moaned with desire as their tongues danced around each other. It was different to when she kissed him five years ago – and not in her dreams. She didn't know if it was because he didn't respond five years ago but this time, it was a kiss of passion and years of buried longing.

Breaking away eventually, both laid on the floor next to each other and Alice curled up in his arms. She brought one of his arms around her waist, smiling up at him as he held her closer in response.  
Neither said a word because they didn't feel the need to as they drifted off to sleep, not daring to think about what lay in wait for them the following day…

The autumn rays of the early morning sun crept between the bars of the window and cast their light on the two sleeping figures securely huddled together on the floor.  
Tom's eyes slowly peeled open and he looked down, smiling. Alice was curled up in his arms, a sight he believed he'd never see in the morning, with her head resting on his chest and her pale arm flung over his stomach. He watched her dormant form, noting how she'd grown even more beautiful.  
The way those two were laying now, you'd think they had all the honesty and trust in the world between them. But, in truth, Tom knew that so many things were unsettled and different between them – too many to think about a relationship yet. If only she hadn't left to begin with, maybe…No, Tom remembered her words on the balcony and he had to agree. He wasn't entirely sure he'd have realised his true feelings for her completely and be able to claim them if he hadn't seen her in the arms of another.  
If truth be told, those feelings had never abated him and so Tom found himself unafraid of his fate – whatever fate was decided for him, anyhow. He'd faced all sorts of pain in the past: physical, loss, heartache…he'd even faced death and felt he could do so again. But all of him would die if anything happened to Alice. He had a feeling Lukrasta knew that too. Why else would he set a trap and use Alice as bait? She'd been through hell, literally as well, and he wondered how she'd remained sane over the years.  
Still, she had and she was strong – a survivor. Tom knew her all too well to know she'd face death and any pain herself to keep him safe and that's what hurt him. Tom had never liked her acting or thinking like that because, in the past, each time she told him or showed him so, his heart had been in his mouth. Her suffering…worse than dying to him.

Alice moaned slightly in her sleep and shuffled so close to Tom; the whole of her body was nearly on top of his as she repositioned her head on his chest. Tom traced his finger down her cheek and she sighed contentedly.  
The cell door swung open and Tom tried to sit up but found it difficult with Alice sprawled over him.  
Lukrasta entered the cell and raised an eyebrow when he saw them situated together like that.  
"It seems I was wrong about you, Tom. You certainly don't like to waste precious time, do you?"  
Alice woke up, startled when she saw Lukrasta standing before them. She wrapped her arms around Tom's neck as they sat up, Tom's wrapped around her protectively. Never before had Lukrasta appeared more dominant and tyrannical to Alice.  
Tom was trying his hardest to show defiance and courage.  
"I have no idea what you've got planned, Lukrasta, but keep Alice out of this. She didn't deteriorate your pride five years ago, Lukrasta, I did. It's between us, Alice has nothing to do with it, so please, just let her go."  
"Bold words for a mere boy compared to me. You really are clueless, aren't you? Why would I release such a young, pretty thing when I still haven't yet had my fill of her?" Lukrasta grinned lewdly down at Alice.  
Tom held her tighter.  
"If you touch her, I swear I'll kill you!"  
"Oh, so _now_ you're becoming possessive. Feelings put one at risk, Tom, especially when they are for a woman. Didn't your master ever teach you that women are just a distraction? That's why they belong in our beds to unburden us of our foolish desires before we start our day and nothing else.  
"When I heard tell of a prophecy, one of a boy to become a man who would be only half-mortal, who'd complete deeds immensely great, I set my target. So as soon as Alice here released me from that dreadful grimoire (really, thousands of years in a musty old book really can mean your legs damage) I knew I'd found the perfect trap to test your feelings. I knew that if I were to steal the one who kept your heart, even more so than your own mother, I'd already be halfway to having you in my grasp.  
"Well, you don't fail to disappoint, Tom, so I'll give you that. To see what time can do to the heart…Funny, isn't it, Tom? You are no longer a little boy, naïve and vulnerable, who only loves his mother and family, who can only befriend girls. No, instead, I see a matured young man whose heart has reached out towards another's, with terror in his eyes. Nothing like my average enemy with a hardened resolve and ice for a heart. Fear is a delicious appetiser – especially for those of us who walk the dark."  
"That's not fear you see in my eyes, Lukrasta. It's determination. You won't hurt her again."  
Lukrasta swooped down like a hawk and grabbed Alice's chin roughly, glancing at Tom sideways with a teasing look.  
"Is that true now? I see fear for this young woman. You're terrified of what I might do to her. Did I not mention mine and Alice's little talk before you arrived? Can I just say, she objected to none of it and moaned as I…"  
Alice jumped to her feet and strode over to the wall, attempting to get as far away from Lukrasta as possible.  
Lukrasta rose to his feet also.  
"I've lived for years to know ways to the heart, Tom. I know you are ready to face pain and death. But it's no fun to let you experience things you're already familiar with. That's why I plan on touching this delectable being. Believe you me, I can be your worst nightmare."  
Tom fought desperately to keep fear out of his eyes as Lukrasta advanced towards Alice.  
"Come near me, and-"  
"And what, my _dear_ girl? You knew this was coming."  
Before Alice could utter another word, Lukrasta angled his head to suck at her neck and collarbone.  
Alice looked over at Tom, tears in her eyes as she muttered, "I'm sorry."  
She then looked away, clenching her teeth in pain as Lukrasta's teeth clamped down on her flesh and his sucking intensified. His hands went to the sleeves of her dress and he tugged it down until the bodice was pulled down to her waist. He then tore it from her body altogether - without need of untying the string about her waist.  
Tom struggled furiously to get to his feet but he felt too weak. It was like all his willpower had deserted him, like all his strength had left his body. He wanted to get to his feet, but his limbs wouldn't obey and nothing happened. Tom was rooted to the spot and it took him not even a second to figure out he'd been spellbound. Lukrasta must've done it and, recalling from his experience with the Mouldheels, Mab, Beth and Jennet, he couldn't get up until Lukrasta permitted it.  
Tom's heart sank into his boots. That meant all he could do was sit and watch, powerless as Lukrasta ravaged Alice's body.

One of Lukrasta's hands slipped into her brassiere to caress her left breast, the other in her loincloth to circle her core. Alice trembled at the contact.  
"Take your filthy hands off me!" she spat.  
Lukrasta broke his lips away from her skin and chuckled darkly, growing goose bumps on Alice's arms.  
"Just where will you run to, Alice? There's no escape. Your fates are in my hands now."


	9. How to Please a Wench

Hungrily, Lukrasta tore at Alice's brassiere and a large portion of it ripped away, leaving her upper body completely exposed. She then felt Lukrasta's knee push between her legs, her spine colliding with the wall and Alice clamped her lips together, gritting her teeth, desperate not to cry out. Lukrasta grabbed a fistful of her hair, tugging her head so she would meet his eyes, and her breasts became vulnerable to his gaze.  
He grinned.  
"Have you ever seen such a fine delicacy, Tom? She is breathtakingly delicious and you could've had that body first had you admitted your…feelings."  
Alice's head hung low, despite the pain stinging her head where her hair was still gathered in Lukrasta's fist. He was describing her as if she were his favourite dish and she hated it. Could Alice really have been spared this monstrous nightmare she was living? Did it really only take the professing of feelings?  
Tom tried to catch her eyes, at the same time trying to keep his eyes averted from her ample chest to respect her privacy, but Lukrasta was really pushing it as Alice fell forwards so she was practically sitting on his thigh.  
Realising that her eyes were downcast, Lukrasta grabbed Alice's chin and forced her eyes to meet his. He gave her a scheming smile and roughly pushed his hand down to Alice's breast. But Alice kept her head upright as he'd released her chin, tears of shame creeping out of her eyelids that now clamped closed.  
"It could've been you caressing this soft skin of hers, Tom…Tell me, Alice, did you tell him what we got up to at night?" he teased.  
While Alice blushed at the roots, Tom's eyes clouded with exasperation and, a hint of, guilt and jealousy. Lukrasta's hand turned attention to her pert nipple and Tom struggled even more, his eyes now ablaze as Lukrasta took Alice into his mouth.  
Swallowing his tears that were starting to leak, Tom lowered his head. He wasn't sure how much more he could take as Lukrasta sucked Alice's breast.

Alice's body disobeyed her head; despite who was doing this to her, a jolt shot through her yet again and, although she fought with all her might, she let out a little moan. Lukrasta began to suck harder and Tom battled the urge to cry out in rage. When his throat betrayed him, Lukrasta heard the cry, released Alice's breast and laughed.  
"You can cry all you want, Tom, but I will stop when I've had my fill."  
Alice's eyes shot open and she glared at Lukrasta, her eyes glazed from the tears.

Suddenly, without warning, Lukrasta pinned her wrists firmly above her head once he'd mercilessly stripped away the rest of her clothing that remained. Tom let out a quiet gasp as Lukrasta's hands grasped Alice's cheeks, staring into her eyes intensely. Keeping his eyes fixed on hers, his hands slithered down her body, making Alice shudder. Lukrasta planted a kiss on her lips, eligible to make them bleed. He pressed his body against hers, as if expecting her to try and run. She stifled a sob.  
This tested Tom as the temptation to travel her body occurred, but he daren't. For Tom could see what his arch nemesis was doing: Lukrasta would tempt him with Alice's body and then she would despise him just like she, he now knew, did Lukrasta. There was no way he could allow that to happen – just as a bond was starting to grow again.  
So instead, with the shake of his head, Tom looked up at the ceiling. Lukrasta's face became a shadowed mask as he glanced over at Tom, frustrated that the lad had not yet looked. He pressed even harder – if possible – against Alice so she could feel every breath.  
Disgusted, Alice clamped her eyelids shut and cocked her head down to the floor, in Tom's direction. It had always taken a lot to make Alice cry out and now she cried out in distaste at being ravished like this in front of the one young man she held dear. Would he hate her after this? She knew how far Lukrasta would go to make that happen.  
Lukrasta's rough hands slid back up her body then down to her lower back, arching her body against his. Like something out of a nightmare, Alice could feel his hardening arousal against her soft, pale thigh and she gasped. His lips released Alice's and his tongue trailed from her jawline, down her neck and along her collarbone. Lukrasta then took her breast into his mouth once more, his tongue circling around her nipple. His other hand left her lower back, raked across her lower stomach, to her hipbone, then dove down between her legs.  
By now, Tom was boiling with fury as he caught sight of what Lukrasta was doing to Alice. Teeth clenched as he heard her yelp when Lukrasta forcefully thrust one of his fingers into her.

This wasn't how Alice had wanted it to be. Tom was the only person she ever wanted to share it with. She found herself unable to open her eyes, fearful of the expression she'd find looming on Tom's face.  
Lukrasta inserted another finger and it made him eager to plunge his hardness into the girl he'd dominated already and feel her accommodate him again. But he resisted. He needed to do this slowly if he was to be satisfied with Tom Ward's suffering.  
Alice tried to bite back the throaty moans as Lukrasta's fingers quickened their pace. She reddened in anger when she failed; anger at herself for failing and anger at Lukrasta for doing this to her in front of _him_ , especially.

Finally, Lukrasta withdrew his knee from under Alice but lowered his head, driving his tongue past her folds, beating her clit. Tom couldn't fight back any longer and watched – but not in jealousy or temptation. After seeing Alice again, he knew she'd never wanted this and every fibre of his being felt that she didn't deserve it, either.  
As Lukrasta sank deeper into her, Alice let out a whimper and a cry. She tried to tug his hand away as it went to her thigh and squeezed brutally – but to no avail as his tongue harshly dug deeper.  
Alice was mortified!  
Against her will, she was getting close.

When she eventually reached her peak, Alice's eyes shot open again and widened in horror as she cried out in ecstasy.

Lukrasta got to his feet and wiped his lips, smirking teasingly at the wench slumped against the wall, and the lad glaring up at him from the floor. Alice crumbled to the floor and brought her knees up, hugging them and sobbing into her arms. The shameless mage clicked his fingers, willing the rooting spell, _Spellbound_ , to abate. Immediately after he realised he could, Tom jumped to his feet.  
Lukrasta's smirk broadened into a grin, clenching his fists and readying to summon his sword, ready for a fight.  
Instead, Tom walked over to Alice, knelt down beside her and, after pulling his shirt over his head, shielded and covered her from Lukrasta's view with it, as well as with his body.  
Dumbfounded, the mage chuckled, "I enjoyed our session. Later tonight I may show this hero how to please a wench with something other than his hands and mouth."  
It was fortunate that Tom had his back to the man or Lukrasta would've seen how wound up Tom had become. At least, Tom remained silent.  
Still chuckling venomously, Lukrasta strolled out of the cell, closing the door behind him and summoning the jailer to lock it.

Tom glanced down at Alice but was lost for words.  
What could be said? He frowned at the material on the floor that encircled Alice: her brassiere was torn in two and so were the rest of her clothes. She brushed off the silken straps that had been left behind on her bare shoulders and Tom moved in close, sympathy washing away all the loathing remaining for Lukrasta, wrapped his arms around her comfortingly and pulled Alice into him. She burrowed one side of her face into his bare chest, trembling hands pressed against it, and he felt the tears streaming down his torso.  
Tom whispered soothingly into Alice's long hair, trying to reassure her that everything would be all right, that they'd been through worse. But the young spook couldn't even convince himself that was the case. For one, Lukrasta was relentless and Tom knew this was nothing but a token of the revenge he had planned. Secondly, Tom hadn't seen Alice for so long, he was unaware of the other nightmares she'd faced…alone.

After rocking Alice in his arms for a while, she slid out of Tom's arms and rested her head on his lap. Stroking her hair lovingly, Tom shifted his body so his back was leaning against the wall, eyes closed. Alice fell asleep to his caresses and, although they were sleeping on the cold hard floor, it was the most comfortable sleep she'd had in a long time.  
Well, the most comfortable sleep either of them had had in a long time.


	10. For Now

Contrary to what he'd told them, Lukrasta did not visit them again that night. For which, Tom was relieved. Alice slept peacefully until a maid entered with a tray of food for them both. The maid said nothing as she laid the tray down and exited the cell quickly, a backward glance of sympathy and worry towards Alice.  
Tom gently shook Alice awake, knowing she needed nourishment.  
He made sure she ate first before helping himself to a slice of bread; despite knowing he was dealing with the dark. Spooks usually fasted before and when dealing with a dark entity if it took days to complete the job – such as the unpredictable mage holding Tom and Alice captive – but he and Jenny had used up the last of the cheese on their way to Cymru and, right now in their existing dilemma, energy was more important.

The pair ate in silence until Tom asked a question that had been burning his mind, but he'd been too afraid of the answer before to ask.  
"Is that really what happened…with you and Lukrasta, I mean?"  
It took a moment for Alice to comprehend his words and when she did, she blushed, ashamed, and bowed her head.  
"…Yes…" she replied quietly.  
"Oh." Tom knew he shouldn't have asked.  
At that blunt reply, Alice's head snapped up, eyes wide as she shook her head vigorously.  
"No, no, Tom, not willingly. Took me against my will, he did, and was far worse than he'd been tonight, constantly threatening me with your life…ain't nothing I can do, Tom, not now he's taken my power!" she blurted out.  
"H…how has he taken your power?" Again, Tom knew he wouldn't like the answer but he had to know, it might've come in useful anyway for the future generation of spooks.  
"Kissing me. Don't think he bothered tonight 'cos his main aim was to wind you up."  
"Well, it worked," Tom grumbled in a gruff voice – apparently not quiet enough as Alice's eyes searched his. "How much power do you think you have left, Alice?" he continued, wanting to change the subject. It wasn't exactly one to talk about for him – especially when he was eating – it wasn't appetising at all over a meal, no matter how small.  
"Not much. Now I'm worried next time he takes my power, I won't…" Alice trailed off, looking away from him.  
Tom lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him again.  
"Don't say that, Alice. You once told me that you never knew you had that sort of natural power until you met the Fiend. So I'm sure you can live without it again. It's not like Lukrasta's taking your energy too…"  
"Wouldn't be so sure of that, Tom. Each time he takes a piece of my power, I faint. Think it's a part of me, my power, a part of my life force – even if I never realised I had it until I met him a little bit before I found you."  
Tom was speechless again. He'd just got Alice back and now there was a chance he could lose her again. Only this time, he'd never find her.

"Why did you never come when I sent that letter, Tom?" Alice asked softly after a while.  
Tom bit his lip.  
"I wanted to, Alice. But it was hard because all this time I believed you'd chosen Lukrasta over me, I thought you were content with him so I stayed away. I thought it might be a trap, I'll admit, but then Grimalkin encouraged me to go anyway. I found my need to see you growing in that time.  
"I never once stopped thinking about you, Alice, but I've always wondered: why? Why did you leave?"  
For one second, it didn't look like Alice was going to respond. But then she took a deep breath and cleared her throat.  
"For you, Tom, I left to protect you. Pan appeared to me on the night before I was about to use the doomdryte. Told me there was a specific section he wanted me to read out, that it was in your best interests if I unleashed the mage who'd ensnared himself. Wondered how it would help you, wondered what idiot who Pan favoured would trap themselves in a book, I did. So I refused. But Pan was persistent and warned me he couldn't guarantee your safety if I didn't do exactly as he said.  
"Completed the doomdryte, freed Lukrasta, but to this day I still don't know how it could help Pan. How he could favour a mage who still needed more power and clearly didn't have enough to begin with to fulfil his ambitions, as well as an old god's, is beyond me. Think Pan's given up on me, Tom, he and Lukrasta ain't spoken in three years!"  
"I've never given up on you Alice. Always, a tiny part of me has clung onto that spark of hope that you would return to me someday. I can protect you…if you let me," Tom said shyly.  
Alice beamed as she nodded fiercely, heart swelling.  
"Always been yours, Tom, my heart. What you said five years ago: I think we belong together too. I think we can protect each other."  
Tom's face broke into a smile and he swooped down on her to steal a kiss.  
"By the way," she began with a smile, "We still need to get out of here."  
Tom nodded but before he had the chance to look around for any means of an escape route, Alice smiled up at him affectionately and pulled him on top of her, kissing him deeply. Tom responded and the pair were far too caught up in the heat of the moment to care to find a way out.  
For now.


	11. Tender Touch

"Wake up, pets," jeered the horrid voice they least wanted to hear the following morning.  
Alice sat up with a jolt but was bewildered for only a moment. Instead of waking up stiff on a cold floor, she'd awoken with a soft mattress underneath her. It was like sitting in a cloud as she found she was clutching a thick duvet to her chest. Lukrasta was sitting by Alice, arms crossed in a mocking way and she scowled at him. Had he taken her here? Alice hoped he'd used his magic to do so but the latter seemed more logic.  
Just then, she panicked. Where was Tom? She was about to demand an answer, glaring at Lukrasta, when she relaxed as she felt the mattress move.  
Tom awoke with a start, sat up and pulled Alice into his chest, away from the shameless mage.  
"You're clearly enjoying each other's company, but an assembly has gathered in the chart room for you."  
That dark look lingering in his eyes…  
Was Lukrasta planning to…?  
Tom hated to think. So he kept Alice in his arms and she didn't seem willing to move, either.  
"You always make it harder for yourselves…" Lukrasta sighed sarcastically.  
Alice continued to glare at him.  
As if reading her mind, Lukrasta told them, "Oh no, don't worry, no one carried you here. You were flashed here because of our new prisoner in the dungeons."  
New prisoner? Lukrasta was being so cryptic and wasn't making any sense, but neither Tom nor Alice had time to reply. For Lukrasta had snapped his fingers impatiently and a vicious, spiralling wind surrounded them, the room blocked out. The wind was as dark and thick as smoke and, although they were engulfed by it, Tom and Alice found themselves untouched by the wind.  
The bed disappeared so Tom and Alice were now standing and had let go of each other in shock as they were floating inside the spiral. Lukrasta licked his lips at the sight of Alice's naked body but a purple silken ribbon of fabric soon swirled around her and suddenly, she found herself wearing the same dress she'd worn that night Tom first saw her and Lukrasta together out on the balcony. Just like before, it flowed down her body like a river and it also showed off her curves.  
As Alice looked over at Tom, she fumed. What was Lukrasta trying to do? He was making it so hard for Alice to earn forgiveness. Her heart almost stopped as she saw Tom look away from her once he'd seen the dress she was now wearing.  
Likewise, a ribbon of dark fabric spiralled around Tom's torso and he suddenly found himself wearing a dark shirt with long sleeves, left untucked over his trousers. The pair looked at each other again with confusion in their eyes before turning to face a grinning Lukrasta.

Before either of them knew it, Lukrasta had snapped his fingers again and the wind died down. Tom took in his surroundings to find they were, indeed, in a chart room. Lukrasta also hadn't been lying when he'd said an audience had assembled.  
To Tom's dismay, the assembly all had dog heads and leered at Alice. He tucked her under his arm protectively since they were standing at the top end of a long rectangular table with a map covering it like a tablecloth. Tom looked down at the map to find it showed the County. Had Lukrasta ordered the Kobalos to attack his home? It was highly likely as flags of three different colours were plotted all over the map.  
Now here Tom was, surrounded by the Kobalos, whose goal was to destroy him! Not only that, Tom was facing his most hated enemy as well.  
Things were looking bleak for him and Alice, who was trembling from head to toe. Still, she maintained a calmer expression than he did.  
Tom had to get them out of there.  
Just then, Lukrasta cleared his throat and called forward a curious, ugly creature with a small body covered in fur, bat wings bigger than it was and long talons on the ends of long, elongated fingers. His tail looked very much like a rat's with fine hairs on the end. With it's rodent face, it looked like the creature John Gregory had glimpsed on the edge of Crow Wood at dusk.  
In these bony hands, the creature was carrying something oval cloaked by a black cloth. The creature hovered in front of Lukrasta and handed him the object. As the creature let go, it took the cloth with it.  
Lukrasta turned back to Tom after leaning the mirror against a stand on the table.  
"Do you recognise him, Tom?"  
Tom had recognised the creature because his master had recorded it in the bestiary, but he didn't answer the mage. How much did Lukrasta actually know? The spook had to find out.  
"I believe the old man, John Gregory, drew him in that bestiary. You spooks are rather vague on knowledge, Tom. He is a winged sprite, Rustfingers. He lives in the hollow in Pendle hill. That's how Pendle witches get their magic, Tom. But that wench under your arm that's good for nothing but satisfying one's lust and warming one's bed…"  
Here, the whole assembly chuckled but Tom and Alice. Tom was gritting his teeth and Alice's cheeks were burning in anger and embarrassment.  
"…She's also got a special, more natural power inside her. Well, what's left of it anyway. I cannot wait until I have every ounce of it," he continued with a spiteful grin.  
These rancorous laughs that echoed through the gathering caused Tom to absent-mindedly hold Alice closer. She was too inattentive by the bewilderment the atmosphere had caused her to even think about protesting against his temporary strong squeeze around her.  
"The infamous Chipenden Spook speechless, Tom? Well, maybe this will loosen your lips," the mage chuckled in a frightful way that made the hairs on the back of Tom's neck stand on end; a way that told him something bad was bound to happen.  
Indeed, it did.

Lukrasta, maintaining that frightful grin that made Tom's stomach churn, gestured with a flat, open hand towards the mirror. Knowing Lukrasta was about to show her beloved some damage he'd done to something Tom knew so well, Alice placed her hand on Tom's chest and they looked into the mirror.  
The glass started waving like the soft waves of a river and an image slowly began to form. As Lukrasta stepped to one side to give the peering pair a better view, the mirror stilled and instead, dark smoke formed around the edges. Alice gripped Tom's arm with her other hand knowingly. Could it be the farm Tom grew up in had finally burnt to the ground? She hoped not. Tom's family lived there!  
To her relief, no barn or farmhouse came into view, so it wasn't Brewer's Farm.

However, once the smoke finally settled around the edges, the image became crystal clear almost and Alice gasped.  
Tom couldn't hold back anymore and cried out in anguish. That lowlife! He'd set fire to the only other place that held many memories for Tom, the place his poor deceased master had bequeathed to him.  
Tom's house in Chipenden: the home of countless spooks before him.  
That was it for Alice. Lukrasta had gone too far and she had to say something.  
"You pathetic cad! You wretched fucking bastard!" she cried.  
The Chipenden house was the place she'd dreamed of raising a family with Tom many times. It was the one place she thought she could create a happy, safe, warm home with him.  
Unscathed, the shameless mage laid a finger to his lips to signal silence before turning to Tom, as if that wasn't enough to get to him.  
"Oh, I forgot, how careless of me. Hasn't your apprentice…Jenny Calder just completed her apprenticeship, Tom? Isn't she living with you?"  
"Just spit it out, Lukrasta!"  
"Oh, I haven't hurt her, Tom. But I imagine she'd be home right about now? That fire my men started doesn't just consume wood and such…"  
Tom caught on what he was saying but held onto Alice. He could see what Lukrasta was planning and he wasn't letting it happen. But he couldn't just sit back and watch, either.  
"You rotten, callous, scheming prick!" Tom accused.  
"Call me all the terrible names in the world, Tom, they won't bring her back – a master's whore, should I say. Let us hope she suffocated before the flames caught her."  
"We can see, sir," came a gruff, brusque voice in the crowd.  
"Can we? Oh, yes, this should be _very_ entertaining."  
With that, Lukrasta laid one hand on the mirror, closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. As they opened again, his attention returned to the mirror that was zooming in closer to the house. It focused on a window that Tom knew to be the window to his old room.  
Tears of regret streamed down Tom's cheeks as the mirror moved in closer, a girl with mousy hair coming into focus. She was still laying on top of the covers on the single bed pushed up against the wall, her hand on her chest. Smoke was slinking through the floorboards and quickly filling the room. Jenny tumbled off the bed and broke into a coughing fit, confusion in her eyes as she stared down at the floorboards, which were rapidly heating up.  
Tom could see that the floorboards beneath were starting to burn her and he couldn't help it anymore.  
"Get up, Jenny!" he cried.  
But it was no use; she couldn't hear him.

Alice looked around at the laughing crowd. She glared at them all.  
Just in that moment, Jenny had finally jumped to her feet and ran over to the window. She was desperately trying to open it in a frenzied panic.  
Smoke then covered the mirror and the glass went dark again.  
Tom let out a heart-wrenching yell.  
"Jenny!"  
Tom felt weak in the knees with guilt, like they'd buckle at any second, but he was _not_ going to collapse in front of Alice.

"…Right, I think we're done here. Captain…" Lukrasta summoned.  
A burly, broad, intimidating figure clad in dark armour with the dark brown snout sticking out of the helmet obediently came to the mage's side.  
"Aye, sir?"  
"Take this mirror back up to the topmost room. I'm done with it for today," he ordered.  
The captain saluted the mage and picked two of his men to come and carry the mirror while he led the way up to the tallest turret on the battlements.  
Once they'd marched out of the room, Alice thought for a moment. She'd seen that mirror before. It was a golden mirror with minerals cut into the shapes of coral and shells…no way! Lukrasta had stolen that mirror from the world's very first sunken ship.  
"You bloody monster!" she yelled and slipped out of Tom's arms.  
Just like when she first visited Brewer's Farm all those years ago, Alice's foot came up to Lukrasta's belly, hard. He grunted in pain and glared up at her with wild, glazed eyes. Oh, he'd soon swipe that defiant attitude right out of her. And what better time to do it than in front of an audience of male Kobalos and her sweetheart?  
So saying, he straightened himself up quicker than Alice had expected and swiped her rosy cheek with the back of his hand. She crumbled to her knees, clutching the side of her face in pain.  
Lukrasta nursed his sore belly quicker than the eye could see before he grasped Alice's hair, mainly focusing on Tom. Alice yelped in agony.  
"You will regret that, my girl. Trust me, all that defiance, I can take more than your power and body. I can make the both of you break and yield," he hissed in her ear.  
Lukrasta forced her head to face Tom who was now grasped roughly at both arms by two Kobalos. He looked down at Alice with sympathy, worry and fear for her.  
"First your _apprentice_ , now your wench! Learn to control your woman, Tom, because I can destroy you…I can tear at your heart bit by bit. For now, enjoy your pain as I relish it," he proclaimed with a growl.  
Lukrasta nodded towards the Kobalos, a dark unreadable look cloaking his eyes, and one Kobalos bound Tom's wrists tightly with thick rope. The other then kicked him so he fell to his knees. Tom gritted his teeth but didn't cry out – grazed knees were the least of his worries.  
Tom looked up at Alice who was being forced to rise with the end of Lukrasta's sword under her chin. The mage sheathed it before he held Alice's shoulders tightly, squeezing. She whimpered as he shoved her over to a group of lusting, eager Kobalos dressed simply with leather coats and bones for buttons. The Kobalos ripped her gown off her body when they caught her, leaving her exposed in only her brassiere and loincloth.  
"Leave her alone!" Tom bellowed as he glanced over at a struggling Alice.  
They started to sniff and caress her body, tugging her brassiere and loincloth away from the parts they were meant to be covering so the Kobalos could touch them. Lukrasta unsheathed his sword, strode over and hit Tom in the chest with the top of the hilt when he was close enough. Winded, Tom sprawled backwards.  
Lukrasta turned away from him, left his sword unsheathed and held up his hands after clearing his throat once more. All eyes in the room averted from Alice's almost-naked body and looked at the mage.  
"That's enough, this wench would consider this more of a reward…Let's see how defiant she is against this sword."  
All cheered in agreement so the Kobalos surrounding Alice flung her back over to Lukrasta.

Tom watched the mage with wide eyes as he punched Alice in the stomach. She grimaced and whimpered loudly, slouching and holding her stomach.  
"Always pick your fights with care, Alice, because I can hurt you double as much," Lukrasta warned menacingly.  
Her eyes widened in fright as Lukrasta then raised his sword a little.  
"No! Please, Lukrasta, don't…I'll do anything, just-" Tom had started as the sword was in mid-air.  
His words were cut short as the blade whipped Alice's bottom swiftly. She gasped as it stung and fell to her knees again. Lukrasta then stood in front of her, rested one hand on his knee and grabbed her chin. He raked his thumb along it as he forced her eyes to look into his. The mage then brought the point of his blade to the start of her cheekbone.  
Tom opened his mouth to plead again but the blade sliced the length of Alice's cheekbone as quick as lightning.  
As if she were something disgusting, Lukrasta released her chin, causing her head to cock back slightly.

Tom could hardly see her though the rain of tears. He now hated himself for letting this happen.  
Alice was leaning on one hand for support and Lukrasta stood up straight, raising his sword to bring it down onto Alice's shoulder blade.  
As she held up her hand in panic, Tom tried again.  
"Lukrasta, let me trade places with her! Beat me yourself if you want but, please, not her!"  
The mage held his sword in mid-air and slowly turned his head to the spook.  
"Have you learnt your lesson, Tom? Will you two control yourselves from here on out?"  
"Yes, yes, we promise. Just leave Alice be."  
Lukrasta considered this for a moment before nodding over at the Kobalos still behind Tom. One Kobalos swiftly cut the bonds on his wrists before the other pulled him to his feet with brutal and effortless force.  
"Take the wench back to the room and see to her then."  
Tom rushed over to Alice's side and easily lifted her into his arms. She was so light, she'd clearly lost weight. Alice cried out at the contact against her skin but, forgetting the dress that was ripped to shreds, Tom was already carrying her quickly out of the chart room, one of the guards ordered to escort them back.  
Just as well since Tom didn't know his way around the place.

The guard opened the door for them before locking it once they were inside. Tom carefully laid Alice on the mattress, leaving the duvet folded back. He tenderly stroked her hair.  
"I'm sorry, Alice."  
Alice slid her hand into his free hand and smiled a pained smile. She felt like she was being prodded with needles, all over her body.  
"Don't blame yourself, Tom. I just can't believe you'd give your life for me."  
Tom brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them affectionately.  
"In a heartbeat," he said softly.

There came a gentle knock at the door and a young woman a few years older than Alice with long dark hair entered, a furry little girl with her. Tom looked down at the girl with uncertainty.  
The woman was carrying a bowl of warm water, the girl a pile of clean towels.  
"That's Nessa and this is Sable. Been good company when Lukrasta was away, they have," Alice told him, smiling down at the little girl, who smiled back.  
Sable shyly handed the towels to Tom. He nodded his thanks then set them down on the bedside table next to Alice.  
Nessa walked over to the other side of the bed, laying the bowl down on it. She then looked over at Alice with the shake of her head.  
"What has Lukrasta done to you now?"  
"Retaliated against what he was doing, I did, got the whip of a blade and a punch for it. Also a scratch," Alice said with a sigh, gesturing towards the deep cut on her cheekbone with her finger.  
Nessa shook her head again.  
"Here." She handed the bowl over to Tom.  
He took it and wasted no time saturating the tip of a towel with the water. As he gently traced over the cut, Alice flinched.  
"It's going to sting, Alice, it doesn't look too friendly," Nessa noted.  
Alice frowned, but something about it seemed half-hearted.  
"It's a cut…not supposed to be friendly, is it?"  
Nessa rolled her eyes at the untimely sarcastic witticism.  
"…Thanks for helping Alice through those days with Lukrasta," Tom said, more focused on cleansing Alice's torn flesh.  
Nessa then helped him turn Alice onto her side so her back was facing him. The cut was deeper than he'd thought; blood was still leaking out, running down her skin and into the strip of blood already staining the mattress.  
Seeing Tom's wide green eyes, Nessa walked round to Tom's side, following his gaze. She clamped her hand over her mouth at the sight of the wound on Alice's lower back. Sable reached out to touch it but Nessa quickly scooped her up and rested her on her hip, shooting her daughter a stern look.  
"Alice…does it hurt?" Sable asked her curiously.  
Judging by Nessa's gasp, Alice could tell the child was asking about the scratch on her back. It stung like hell.  
But Alice often wasn't one for showing pain.  
"A bit," she lied.  
Tom could tell by the way Alice had curled up slightly that it was hurting so he turned to Nessa.  
"Umm…could you give us some time? I need to…" Tom didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as Nessa had already nodded in understanding and swiftly started her leave. When Alice heard the door close, she knew Nessa had left but she was going home to her partner, Slither.

Tom turned back to Alice nervously.  
"Alice…I need to…"  
"…I know, Tom, just do it," Alice told him quietly.  
Tom pulled her loincloth down slightly, dipped another part of the towel in the warm water and traced the sliced skin as tenderly as he was able.  
Alice first let out a cry then sobs at the stinging contact as the water cleansed her bloody flesh. She made no resistance but continued to sob.  
Tom kept a firm grip on the towel and clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to stop as his own wounds began to hurt, determined to care for Alice first.

By the time he'd finished, the clear water was dyed the colour of cherry wine. Alice blushed, mortified by her sobs. Tom caressed her shoulder with his thumb, waiting patiently for her sobs to cease.  
Finally, when he could hear no more sobs of shame, Tom helped Alice turn back to face him, her eyes bloodshot from the tears.  
Her big brown eyes suddenly widened, her cheeks flushing as if she'd seen a ghost.  
"What's wrong, Alice?"  
"Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry…forgot all about what Lukrasta did to _you_ , didn't I?"  
Alice slid onto her knees and Tom reached for her shoulders hesitantly.  
"Alice, I don't think you should-"  
"Not made of glass, am I?" she protested.  
Tom opened his mouth to answer back but she'd already reached across and began unbuttoning his shirt. Once she'd undone the last button, taking the hint, Tom took off his shirt completely and Alice gasped. A big, dark bruise had formed on Tom's chest.  
"Oh, Tom, why didn't you tell me he-"  
"You're more important," he interrupted. "I've had a lot worse."  
"I know," Alice suddenly whispered, "Broke my heart, it did, thought you were gone when I saw that shaiksa assassin impale you and I…"  
"What did you do, Alice?"  
"I…attempted to jump off the balcony. But Nessa made perfect timing and pulled me away from the balustrade."  
"Alice? You were about to…because you thought I was…"  
"Said it time and time again, Tom…I'll say it once more. I'd do anything for you…even die for you if necessary and, 'cos I thought that shaiksa assassin had killed you in his last breath, I saw no more reason to live.  
"Promised me, Pan did, he'd keep you safe and well if I did as he said."  
"Alice…" Tom began, running his thumb across her bottom lip with a sigh. "We both know old gods have other duties. You should've known he wouldn't-"  
"Goes to show what love does to you," she said softly, a tear running down her cheek.  
Tom moved his thumb away from her lip and wiped away her tear. He leaned in to kiss her until he felt something damp touch his skin.  
He looked down then back up at an Alice with a cheeky, girlish smile, his eyebrow raised. Her girlish grin broadened, somewhat innocent.  
"The bruise looks angry. Know it aches, Tom, can read you like a book, I can. Trust me, this'll help it," she said, more seriously than she smiled.

After Alice had soothed the bruise, she held Tom's shoulders, hinting for him to turn around. He obeyed and she reached across for another towel.  
Again, Alice gasped at the bloody state of his horrifically torn back. Some of the cuts were so deep, deeper than hers, that she could've sworn she saw bone in some places. Still, Alice wrung the towel before tenderly cleansing the wounds as Tom had done for her.  
Tom winced throughout, gasping occasionally; all the while happy Alice hadn't seen any scales forming.

Suddenly, the worry was bullied to the back of his mind as the memory from earlier settled in. Tears started to form and he didn't need to be facing Alice for her to know. She'd heard his gasps change slightly. They'd become more shaky and there was a short sigh of breath at the end of each one.  
Alice paused, putting the towel in the bowl, concerned.  
"Tom?"  
When she received no reply, she slid next to him at the edge of the bed and, mindful of his wounds clearly caused by a sword in place of a whip, slid her arm around his shoulders in comfort. Alice slipped her nimble fingers underneath Tom's chin, forcing him to meet her warm, kind eyes.  
"I'm a failure, Alice. I couldn't be the spook my master had trained me to become. I couldn't keep Jenny, my own apprentice, out of trouble and I failed to get us out of here. What sort of spook am I?"  
Alice gasped in outrage. Her best friend had always doubted himself but he never broke into tears and gave up. That wasn't the Tom she knew and loved. Everyone who knew him, knew him to be persistent. He certainly never gave up on her: a witch whose father was the Fiend himself, a witch whose mother was a powerful witch infamous for killing children without remorse for their thumb bones.  
"Oh, Alice! Everywhere I go, people suffer and yet I never put a stop to it. You've endured so much already and if anything else happens to you, I….I…"  
Alice pressed her lips hard against his. He returned that kiss before she pulled back and brought her fingers from under his chin to his cheek.  
"That's enough, Tom. What sort of spook are you? A bloody good spook, that's what you are. Who else knows better than me and Old Gregory? Been there by your side for a long time, Tom, ain't we? Those who suggest otherwise better look into themselves. You've fought witches, ghasts, ghosts, elementals, abhumans, boggarts…bloody hell, Tom, you fought the Fiend, my father, single-handed. What spook can say that truthfully? As for Jenny and our situation, we're both learning from this. It's new and there was naught you could do for Jenny.  
"I think Old Gregory is watching over you right now and I don't think there's a master that's prouder. Watched you through a mirror everyday, Tom, I did. Watched the way Jenny looked up to you with admiration, the way you taught her and the way you protected the County. Everyday, my heart beat faster just watching it all. You'll always be that heroic spook in my eyes, Tom…you've always been my hero."  
Tom was both taken aback and amazed at the young woman speaking so passionately and highly of him. He didn't believe he'd ever heard Alice speak like that in all the time they were friends.  
Silently, he pulled her into his chest.  
Alice closed her eyes, luxuriating in the moment. She didn't want him to let her go, she didn't want to leave his embrace. As she felt the tears drip onto her shoulder, Alice held the back of Tom's head, whispering soothingly and kissing his head.  
"I know, Tom, she was your friend as well as your apprentice. But I'm here, Tom, still got me, you have. You'll always have me." As she made that remark, her heart throbbed. She couldn't bear it if she were to witness Tom's death again – or the other way round. If Alice was to die in this tower, she wanted them to die together.  
As did Tom.

After a few minutes, Alice pulled back slightly and, after pausing when his green eyes captured her gaze for a moment, she planted another innocently soft kiss on his warm lips. Cracked and dry a little but to her, they were unlike anything she'd ever felt on her lips. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds like the last one, short but sweet, before she made him turn his back to her again so she could continue washing the slashes.  
Tom wiped his tears away hastily, embarrassed by them like Alice was with her tears, as the saturated, warm towel soothed his stinging flesh.  
Cautiously, Alice kissed the backs of his shoulder blades and she felt him shiver at her touch.  
While kissing his skin, Alice put the towel back down then broke away from his skin.  
"Finished," Alice proclaimed.  
Tom turned back round to face her, pulling her in for another kiss. Alice's eyes widened before they slid closed, allowing his, suddenly, demanding tongue entry.

The spook hungrily devoured her, thinking only of the witch he was holding and how much he desired her. He pushed past the pain and sorrow of their past lives as children and best friends, sinking into the loving spark between them as she responded to his kisses with moans of years' worth of longing for this intimacy. Her hands travelled down his pale skin, only a shade darker than her own, down his smooth stomach and, timidly, she brought her hand to his quivering member.  
He moaned into her mouth at the contact as she stroked him through his clothing.  
Feeling bold, Alice's lips moved from his, down his face to suck at his throat gently, licked down his rippled abs that she'd never have guessed he'd get (if you'd told her that before they parted the last time, she'd have thrown herself into a laughing fit), and down towards the edge of his trousers as he turned and laid back on his elbows with her on top of him.  
Watching her in a lustful, fascinated way, he lowered to his back, quickly suppressing the aching pain shooting the length of his torso.  
Alice returned to consuming his mouth.  
Then, she fell into a teasing mood so she ran her tongue the length of his body before she came back to the waistband of his trousers. A little nervously, she tugged at his trousers and Tom lifted his hips momentarily so she could slide them off.  
As they fell to the floor, at the sight of his throbbing manhood, her eyes widened. Acting on pure instinct, nothing more, Alice leaned forward and mercilessly ran her tongue all around while she squeezed at his inner thighs. Her long back, gentle curls tickled the head and he shivered with excitement. Tom had never been touched like this before, with the acception of his own hand of course, and no one else but Alice could bring him such delight and pleasure she was giving him now.  
Tom had very much matured into a young man, this being more evidence. He didn't altogether understand the sensations coursing through his body as Alice did, having not had the same experience, but he'd be lying to deny he liked it. He'd always failed to understand his old master's constant warning that Alice could one day have Tom at her mercy. Tom had been completely lost on his deceased master's words until now.

Alice's hand enclosed around the base, moving it up and down slowly as she looked up at Tom with a smug expression in her eyes, bringing her chest up against his in the process.  
As she continued her administrations, Tom squeezed his eyes shut in delicious ecstasy, throwing his head back with a moan.  
Chuckling softly in response, Alice moved down to kiss along his length before taking him into her mouth. His hands collapsed by his sides as he sighed heavily.  
In the blink of an eye, he felt like he was going to lose himself.  
Before he knew it, he'd cried out her name and released inside her mouth.  
Smiling, Alice drew her head up next to his and kissed his cheek as her arm leaned over his.  
"Did that feel good?" she purred close to his ear temptingly, laying her palm on his chest.  
He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and agreed breathlessly, "So good."  
Tom started to kiss the top of her head repeatedly, each kiss igniting something more and more until, taking Alice by surprise, he leaned up and conquered her mouth, his hands hastily reaching to unlace her silken brassiere. Tom then slid her brassiere down her arms and threw it on the floor. Alice didn't voice the pain she felt as he climbed over her slim body.

One hand cradled the back of her head, the other sliding down her velvet skin to her perfect, ample chest. He loved how soft she felt and he cupped one of her breasts in his palm, tweaking her nipple and eliciting a cry from her, which he quickly swallowed with his kisses.  
Breaking the kiss, causing her to gasp, Tom gave her a smug smile like she had done when pleasuring him and made his way down her body, creating trails of fire with his tongue down her sternum, over her belly button. After removing her loincloth, his tongue advanced past her hips and down to her moist area. Now they were alone, Tom felt free to explore Alice's body without anyone to tell him it was wrong or pressure him into pleasuring her how they saw fit.  
"My love," he whispered, his breath making her giggle, thrilled, her hand moving to her chest to try and steady her heart.  
Tom kissed her centre before drawing his head back slightly. Both hands slowly drifted down her legs and cupped her thighs, making her moan in yearning.  
Tom then cupped her tender core and inserted one finger. His back ached from the position he was currently in but passed it off; he couldn't care less. His finger found her hard nub with ease and loved the sound of her whimper as he encircled it.  
Tom moved up to claim her mouth as he inserted a second finger. Sliding his fingers in and out, Alice also started bucking her hips to meet his fingers more quickly.

Emboldened, Tom lowered his mouth level with his fingers and blew gently on Alice's opening. Her body went limp underneath him and his tongue trailed along her inner thigh before spreading the lips of her flower with it, flicking his tongue cautiously in her fleshy walls. He relished the sound of her cries along with his name.  
Spreading her legs a little wider, he dove deeper, devouring her essence. Alice's wrists collapsed either side of her head as she grew wild with desire for him. Such burning desire.  
She screamed his name again as Tom's tongue drove her over the edge until she reached her peak.  
Giving her another smug smile as he leaned down to kiss her again, Alice's fingers curled themselves into his dark brown hair, pulling him closer.  
As she rose her knees off the bed and leaned on her elbow, both breathing heavily and rolling their bodies eagerly, in sync, both knew what was to come. Neither had experienced it like this before, where it actually meant something, but they'd heard rumours of what it was caused by; what caused the one way in which a man and a woman could join together, connect to each other in the most possible intimate way.  
That cause was the passion that came with love.

Upon thinking the word, at the exact same time, Alice broke the kiss suddenly, laying a finger to Tom's lips.  
He stared at her in confusion.  
"Before we continue, don't you think we should move the bowl and towels off the bed?" Alice asked playfully.  
Chuckling before he kissed her finger, Tom nodded and both sat up. Tom moved the towels to the floor and Alice moved the bowl of water to the floor.

All of a sudden, it just came to him that several candles strung from the ceiling and on the one bedside table dimly lit the room. Seeing Alice lean over the edge of the bed, the mere sight of her bottom made Tom harden.  
So saying, as she sat up, he was immediately behind her and running his hands from her shoulders down to her elbows, kissing her neck.  
Alice leaned against his shoulder, moaning softly, and said gently, "Make love to me, Tom."  
Tom rested his chin on her shoulder and she continued as his hands found hers.  
"My virginity was taken ages ago, Tom, true, that. But believe me when I say you're the first person I'm offering my body to willingly. You already have my heart…now I want to give you something no other man can have at my will. I want to be yours, Tom, always have."  
Tom lifted his chin from her shoulder and gazed into her eyes adoringly as she turned into his arms. His hand caressed her cheek, her hand covering his with her eyes closed at his tender touch.  
"You'll always be mine, Alice, sure as I'm yours."

Tom leaned back as their lips reconnected, shifting his body over hers before she landed softly on the mattress, her head resting on the pillow. Alice willingly spread her legs to give him more access. She cupped his cheek and gave him an encouraging, loving smile as she saw the slight hesitation in his eyes.  
Tom positioned himself at her entrance, grinding against her, both wet with want already.  
He looked into her eyes and told her, "Let me know if I hurt you."  
"You couldn't do that, Tom. That's passed," she whispered reassuringly.  
With that, he slowly slid into her until he met resistance. Tom looked at her questioningly, not wishing to bring back any painful memories, and she nodded, urging him to proceed.  
Her hands cupped the back of his neck and she leaned up and kissed him as he thrust his hips forward. She let out a little moan, bringing her legs up to wrap around his waist as he thrust in again. Tom groaned as her warm walls accommodated him and they fit perfectly together.

Before long, Tom quickened his pace, thrusting harder and deeper.  
Alice released a breathy moan into the kiss but refused to stop the kiss. The sound of her moan spurred him on and it was he who broke the kiss to lean down and suck on her breast, nibbling gently around the nipple as he continued to thrust in and out.  
Careful to avoid his back, Alice's nails ran down one arm, the other hand entangling in his hair to pull his mouth back to hers.

Feeling himself getting close to the edge of oblivion, Tom increased his thrusts harder and faster until they were screaming each other's names to the stars that always dotted the evening sky – even when you couldn't see them. He felt her walls clench around him and, with a jerk of his hips, his release surged into her.  
Unwilling to separate, he stilled and rested his head on her shoulder for a moment. Both were breathing heavily, Alice's hand caressing the back of Tom's head.

Tom looked up into her eyes and decided hers was the prettiest face in the world.  
Once he'd pulled out of Alice, both missed being joined together but were too tired for anymore so they slid into the duvet. Tom settled on his side and leaned down to kiss Alice. She turned on her side also and Tom pulled her into his arms. Both facing each other, Alice's head level with his chest, Tom rested his hand on her hip, Alice pulling his arm around her and caressing it lightly.  
"I love you, Tom Ward."  
Tom's eyes closed at the sound of it, still too breathless to answer. Alice was too tired to wait for a response anyway and the pair drifted off quickly to a peaceful sleep.


	12. Waking or Dreaming

A smile crept across Tom's face as he slept on with the woman he'd always loved in his arms, dreaming of how they'd united in passion.  
All of a sudden, green eyes snapped open, sleep disturbed by a writhing, whimpering, moaning Alice. But they weren't actions of pleasure; they were that of pain and struggle. Seeing her eyes still closed told Tom it was a nightmare and so he cupped either side of her face, leaned down and snatched a kiss off the dormant witch.  
Just because she was asleep and defenceless didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it. What made him smile into the kiss was when she relaxed, laying her fingertips on his chin, and kissed him back.  
Unbeknownst to him, Alice had been dreaming of a time with the horrid mage who'd given her a most painful and dreaded time nearly every night in bed. But, in her dream, Lukrasta had transformed into Tom when he'd kissed her in reality.

Finally, Tom found the strength to break the kiss, leaned his forehead against hers and caressed both of her cheeks gently with his thumbs.  
"Nice to wake up to, that," Alice smirked as she opened her eyes.  
Tom remained serious.  
"I couldn't leave you like that. What happened? What were you dreaming about, Alice?" he asked softly.  
Tears immediately began to stream from the corners of her eyes.  
"About my first time…when Lukrasta forced me to bed and took my virginity. Said that while he couldn't get something out of the kiss, he would get my body instead. At the time, I…had no idea he was stealing my power in the day when he wasn't taking my body at night. Thought I could trick him into helping us, Tom, but I was wrong."  
In response, Tom gave Alice the gentlest of kisses before parting and his head leaned against hers.  
Bringing his hand up to stroke her hair, Tom asked, "Do you still remember that, Alice? When he first…"  
"Hurt every time, Tom, it did. Ain't known any different until you showed me. Stupid, I was, for not leaving him when I had the chance. An idiot, I was, for believing in Pan. Now look at the mess I've got us into…"  
At that, Tom held her closer.  
"Hey…hey…what's done is done. We can only move forward from these mistakes. We're together now and I promise, I won't let you go again," he assured her.  
Tom then held her shoulders and she looked up at him with a trembling lip and adoration in her eyes.  
"Really mean that, Tom?" she asked pleadingly.  
"Of course I do, Alice. All that we've been through, I suppose this is just our little reward," he grinned, running his hand along the luscious skin of her pale thigh.  
Alice sighed lustfully and Tom caught her parting lips in his. Their tongues re-joined in a vigorous dance. As Alice draped her arms around Tom's neck, his arms wrapped around her. She leaned back onto the pillow, pulling him on top of her. Feeling his groin press against her thigh made Alice squeal with delight into Tom's mouth.  
Tom thought that the sounds she made were the most erotic he'd ever heard and they got him very excited.  
He broke their kiss for a moment and sighed, "God, you're irresistible."  
Alice blushed modestly and shook her head.  
"I don't believe so but it's nice to hear from you."  
Frowning slightly, caressing her back, he whispered, "Why would I lie that you're alluring?"  
Alice shrugged.  
"Just ain't used to hearing it when it's more sincere than sarcasm or trickery. Least of all from you."  
"I've always thought your face pretty, Alice, everything about you is attractive. I regret not reminding you everyday when I had the chance. You were always on my mind…waking or dreaming."  
"Right back at you, sweetie," she said with a smile.  
Tom kissed her again before – just as their kiss became more impassioned – an unexpected knock at the door jerked them apart. Alice clutched the duvet to her chest, Tom helping her before he tucked her protectively under his arm.

The couple were expecting Lukrasta to stride in but instead, Nessa entered carrying a thick bundle.  
"H-hi, Nessa," Alice stuttered, "Where's Sable?"  
"She's not feeling very well so Slither's taking care of her at home today," Nessa replied, setting down the folded bundle on the foot of the bed. She then walked round to get the bowl of water and towels, a knowing look in her eyes as she glimpsed the indecent pair.  
"What are the clothes for?" Alice asked her suspiciously.  
As Nessa stood up with the towels and bowl of water in hand, she shrugged.  
"I was just ordered by the captain of the guard to bring you up some new clothes. He wouldn't tell me the full reason, Alice. All I know is Lukrasta wants you two downstairs on the steps just outside the tower."  
Tom frowned.  
"What's the occasion for Lukrasta not coming in to mock us again or anything?"  
Alice tapped his chest lightly in scold; Nessa was just doing as she was told.  
"I don't really know, Tom. He's already at the steps with a selected group of guards. The captain was on his way out as I came up so it's best not to keep him waiting. I'll leave you two to it and wait outside for you."  
Alice nodded her thanks and Nessa left the room, closing the door behind her.

Tom and Alice uncertainly walked over to the foot of the bed and picked up the clothes laid out for them. Both were suspicious of how normal their clothes looked.  
Tom's was the dark cloak a spook would usually wear, a clean long-sleeved shirt and a new pair of trousers and socks. Left on the floorboards was a pair of boots for him. As for Alice, she'd been given a white blouse where the short sleeves yet again rested on her arms. To go over it was a brown pinafore dress, which had a dark brown pleated wrap sewn onto the waistline. This would make her look no better than a peasant wench, she decided, and she'd been given a thin dust-coloured shawl that would rest on her elbows. On the floorboards for her were pointy shoes.  
The spook and witch took their clothes round to separate dressing screens to get ready.

Once Tom dressed, he checked over himself and was relieved at his appearance, although it made him all the more wary. What was Lukrasta's game?  
Once he stepped out, he heard something over his shoulder and turned to see Alice stepping out of her dressing screen. If they hadn't been called down, he would have stripped off her clothes and taken her against the wall. God, what was she doing to him?  
The pinafore dress allowed her pointy shoes to peep out and fitted her figure perfectly. She looked breathtaking. Either that, or Tom just wasn't used to seeing her in something that was _that_ kind of different. No other clothing she'd worn had taken his breath away like that before. Some of her hair was swept back and gathered into a small wavy bun at the back of her head, held by a silvery ribbon tied into a bow. The rest of her black wavy hair was left down. A bit of Alice's cleavage was showing and Tom's mouth ran dry as he examined his lover.  
If he was having these shameful thoughts, then, who knows what Lukrasta would do when he saw Alice – Tom got aroused at the mere sight of her. He was certain Lukrasta would tear her clothes from her body and take her there and then, regardless of an audience present.  
Tom straightened himself up and cleared his throat. He offered her his arm, which she took, the both of them smiling.  
"You look stunning, sweetie."  
"And this is more like the Tom Ward I know and love."

Tom opened the door for them to find Nessa waiting patiently. She tutted in disapproval at how Lukrasta still had Alice dress, but nodded towards the couple all the same. She led the way down the echoing steps, the three of them careful not to trip as they descended.


	13. Haggling!

Lukrasta, true to Nessa's word, was waiting for them just outside the tower with several guards behind him, one being the captain of the guard who was facing the others. Tom and Alice stood frozen in front of the mage, the spook aware of his lustful gaze traversing Alice's figure.  
"Well, Tom, after being captive for a few days, you finally look like the spook you should be."  
Catching Lukrasta's mockery about him not acting like the spook he'd been trained to be, Tom bit back his retort and Lukrasta then turned to Alice. "You, _my dear_ , you look like a maid who belongs in her master's bed and nowhere else. Nothing like the strong-minded, hard-to-get Alice Deane from Pendle."  
 _Ooh_ , she just wanted to punch him there and then; she would've done had Lukrasta not had several guards with him, who looked ready for the kill. So, like Tom, Alice kept quiet.  
Eyebrow raised, a little disappointed that he'd received no reaction, Lukrasta called for the captain of the guard to face him.  
"The carriage readied?"  
"Aye, sir, all ready for your trip to Topley, sir."  
"Very good…as you were."  
The captain of the guard obeyed and turned back to the others again.  
Tom's heart missed a beat. How many more of the people he cared about had to suffer?  
As if reading his mind, Lukrasta turned back to face him.  
"I have business to see to. I've no intentions of wasting my time with your precious, weak family. But you are both coming with me – I won't have you attempting an escape in my absence. You will not speak to me, the guards, nor my client unless spoken to. Above all else, do _not_ think you will be treated as anything more than my captives."  
Tom bit his tongue. The mage had no right to speak about his family like that.  
When Lukrasta still didn't get the reaction he was expecting, he snapped at two of the guards to restrain Tom and Alice. He then turned away from the pair as the captain of the guard led the way away from the dark tower, away from the grounds altogether and towards a waiting carriage.  
The two guards confining the young couple brought up the rear, two marched in front of Lukrasta – behind the captain of the guard – and two behind as they advanced closer and closer to the carriage.

A rather nervous-looking driver with greasy hair sat, barely making eye contact with anyone. The carriage itself was black and driven by two black horses.  
The captain of the guard, once they reached the carriage, opened the door. Lukrasta stepped in, the guards harshly rushing Tom and Alice to get in after him. The couple sat next to each other and Lukrasta rolled his eyes at the sight of their hands entwined tightly together.

The guards standing in formation, ready to slaughter absolutely anyone who dared approach the carriage, the driver cracked his whip and the horses began their trot in seconds.  
They were off.  
Now Lukrasta could think through his plan more carefully. It was highly unlikely Tom and Alice would even try to speak to him. He knew full well that his client, Gerald, had lost his wife and unborn child while she was giving birth. Since then, he'd been looking for a housemaid to warm his bed and complete daily house chores. Lukrasta had seen the farmhouse once before – it was utterly filthy – and so he knew Alice would have her days occupied inside the house, her nights even more so.  
Lukrasta had been planning to sell the witch not long after Tom had returned from death itself. After all, the mage didn't just fill his nights with Alice. He had another girl in his bed, in his second home, which was why he'd sometimes be gone for days, even weeks. That other girl was even more of a woman than her sister. Lukrasta would have left Alice to fend for herself sooner, but then it would've been all too easy for her to run back to Tom so they could live their 'happily ever after'.  
How distasteful!  
The mage knew that Gerald would pay a pretty price for a pretty face such as Alice's and with her gone, Lukrasta could fill his nights with a more womanly, less-defiant and more darkly-ambitious witch.  
But those were not his only reasons. He had to prevent this witch getting fertilised by that spook at all costs!  
Lukrasta shuddered as the vision of a child born from the union of a spook and a witch came to his mind's eye. The child playing happily, it's parents watching over its childhood in a happy home whilst Lukrasta's powers waned.  
The thought was unbearable. He comforted himself with another vision; that of seeing Alice break and yield as her master conquered her body by night and exhausted her emotionally by day. Then the Chipenden Spook named Tom losing all hope at the news his one true love is dead. It would be easy as pie to abolish him then.

Meanwhile, Tom looked out of the window, watching as rolling hills and greenery passed by, the grey morning light turning more and more blue with every minute going by. His eyes narrowed as they started riding through the landscape Tom knew so well.  
Topley wasn't far away.  
Lukrasta was up to something and Tom knew it; like he also knew he wasn't going to like it. One thing was certain: his main priority was to protect Alice. As thoughts raced through of what the sinister mage had in mind, Tom attempted to formulate an escape plan but didn't confide to Alice because for one, Lukrasta was sitting opposite them and, secondly, every idea that came to mind seemed impossible because he could only guess what Lukrasta was plotting. But Tom was unwilling to give up like that.

It was subtle, but he could feel that Alice was trembling. Tom moved her hand into the both of his in reassurance. He then glanced at Alice who was meeting Lukrasta's gaze. Just by the glare Lukrasta shot at Alice and the look of fear etched on her face, Tom could tell they were somehow communicating internally.  
When she paled, he frowned and slipped one hand away from hers so he could tuck her under his arm sharply, breaking the communication between Alice and Lukrasta.  
While Alice smiled up at him weakly but gratefully, Lukrasta glowered at Tom as if wishing death would take the boy again. Tom matched the glare with equal ill-wishing until finally, Lukrasta let the act go as the carriage halted abruptly.  
Tom found the courage to look out the window again. They'd arrived on the outskirts of Topley.

The mage was first to get out, tugging Alice out roughly by the arm. Anger shot through Tom like a lightning bolt and so he too climbed out.  
Once outside, he fought to stay by Alice's side but Lukrasta had clicked his fingers, summoning the captain of the guard to come over and restrain Tom by locking his wrists behind his back. Alice's wrists were suddenly bound in front of her and only just then realised that Lukrasta not only clicked his fingers to signal for the captain of the guard and conjure a rope to bind her wrists, he'd also done so to conjure a long rope from Alice's bonds which he now clenched in his fist.  
The captain of the guard barked at the rest of the Kobalos to stay in formation by the carriage.  
Leaving the Kobalos standing like statues, Lukrasta, Alice, Tom and the captain of the guard advanced closer to the outskirts.

No one said a word as they continued to walk along the slippery grass. In that time, the mage never acknowledged his captives.  
That is, until they came to a grim farmhouse along the outskirts of Topley. A burly man with auburn hair so dark it looked brown and green eyes empty of all emotion looked up from fixing the wooden gate that hung off its hinges, clinging onto a picket fence. The man came forward after putting down his tools and greeted Lukrasta.  
Then the man immediately turned his attention to Alice, leering at her over Lukrasta's shoulder. She could feel herself shrinking as she felt more and more uncomfortable, glancing back at Tom. His gentle green eyes were full of love, sympathy and worry. All he wanted to do in that moment was hold her in his arms and make her feel safe.  
The man clapped Lukrasta on the back and gestured for all four to follow him inside.

Tom's eyes travelled the room and they narrowed. It was rotten: black mold crept up the bare walls, a few pieces of flagstone were missing from the floor here and there and there was nothing in the fireplace. All there was in that room were some rotten counters, a stone sink and a wooden table at the centre of the room with six stools surrounding it.  
He hadn't liked the way Alice was dragged in by the cord and, as he glanced over at her now, her nose wrinkled in disgust at the sight of the place. He also noted terror in her eyes. What on Earth had Lukrasta told her?  
As the captain of the guard, Lukrasta and the man took their seats in this derelict-looking place (it looked as though it had been abandoned for months), Tom and Alice hovered over to each other. Well, mostly Tom came to Alice since the cord was still grasped in Lukrasta's hand.  
Tom slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close.  
"All right, Gerald, let's just get straight to business. How much, Gerald?"  
Gerald's eyes went back to Alice, as if sizing up his prey.  
"She's a little too much on the skinny side, Lukrasta…Six shillings."  
"I have had her myself and believe you me, she's more than six."  
"Fine…how about ten?"  
"At the very least, twenty."  
As the two haggled, Tom grew more and more anxious. His heart raced as it sounded similar to an auction and he realised who they were talking about.  
No, not Alice. Lukrasta wasn't selling _his_ Alice, he couldn't!  
Tom cleared his throat and gently pulled Alice behind him.  
"Stop this _now_ , Lukrasta. You're not selling Alice, I said so!"  
Lukrasta turned to face Tom, his eyebrow raised in a bemused look.  
"And just who are you to stop me?"  
Tom merely glared at him, shielding Alice from view.  
"That staff of yours is destroyed, Tom. How can you possibly expect to defend your precious wench when everything you use as a weapon has either been confiscated, or tossed into the flames after being broken into pieces?"  
"She isn't a wench, Lukrasta. I'm telling you, she's worth far more than what you're haggling!"  
Gerald looked offended whilst Lukrasta clicked his tongue.  
"Did your mother ever teach you manners, Tom? I'll ask again: how do you expect to defend her?"  
"With my life."  
Tom's eyes blazed with defiance as Alice remained behind him. Unfortunately, Lukrasta got to his feet and all he had to do was swipe Tom hard across the cheek. He hit him with such force, Tom was sent sprawling to the side.  
As he collected himself together and eventually climbed back to his feet before wiping the blood from his lip with the side of his hand, Lukrasta quickly handed the cord to Gerald.  
When Gerald tugged on the rope, grabbing Alice's chin and pressing her against the wall, Tom tried to leap towards them, aiming for Gerald, but the captain of the guard was quick and twisted his wrists behind his back. Tom momentarily squeezed his eyes shut in pain.  
They soon opened wide enough when Lukrasta strode towards him and growled in his ear, "Say goodbye to your whore, Tom, it's the last time you'll see her in this world."  
Tom struggled, only to have his wrists twisted more so, to avoid them being broken, he was forced to stay still.  
"Let me go! I swear, if you hurt her-"  
"Swear all you like, it won't make a difference! Don't worry, as soon as you reach Anglezarke, you will have no memory of her. There will be no trace of Alice in memory or present to distract you from your duties…while they last."  
Tom froze as he acknowledged and tried to comprehend the true meaning behind Lukrasta's statement.  
Gerald chuckled.  
"You always were a sucker for a pretty face, Lukrasta, so I've heard. I should enjoy this one."  
Lukrasta and Gerald shared a laugh as the couple relentlessly struggled. Tears streamed down Alice's paling cheeks as Gerald pushed the skirt of her pinafore dress up to her waist before forcing his knee between her legs. When he pressed his face against her neck, Alice caught Tom's eyes and gave him a defeated look.  
Tom shook his head, tearful green eyes, refusing to lose her again and tried to break free of the Kobalos' hold, despite the crushing impact it had on his wrists.  
"Your payment's in the box on the table, Lukrasta," Gerald told him before he sucked on Alice's neck hard, bringing her legs around his waist and carried her towards the bedroom that was the next room.  
Likewise, Lukrasta gestured with his head towards the door. The captain of the guard tried pulling Tom out of the house, but he fought and thrashed, calling after Alice.  
Lukrasta turned away from the table, rolled his eyes to the ceiling and muttered, "Oh, for fuck sake."  
Before Tom knew it, Lukrasta's burly fist came flying towards his head.  
Tom suddenly fell limp in the captain of the guard's arms. The captain of the guard lifted the spook up in his arms and carried him out of the house.  
Once Lukrasta and lifted the lid and collected his payment, he followed.

Alice's screams that shook the house brought a grim toothy smile to Lukrasta's mouth as he and the captain of the guard carrying Tom strode further away from that place.

Lukrasta was looking forward to when that spook woke up, to find it wasn't just a nightmare…


	14. A Different Name You'll Be Screaming

**[AN – WARNING: contains rape. Wait until the next chapter, which will be posted on the 5** **th** **, if easily offended.]**

Alice awoke to the same sensational, wonderful feeling igniting through her body – the feeling only Tom could spark in her. She felt something thick wrapped around her wrists, binding them together. She found that when she tried to open her eyes, she saw nothing but pitch black. The feel it had on her eyelashes told her they were brushing against a piece of material and Alice wondered briefly if this was an idea of Tom's to bring her even more pleasure. Was he going to try something new?  
Alice felt a hand stroke her hair, tugging gently, a body pressing against her back, the muscles tender as yet hard on her skin. The hand then slid down her body, two hands stroking her thighs. Warm breaths tickled her shoulder, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, causing her to shudder.  
Alice couldn't help but sigh with relief; she'd never been violated, never sold to another and never separated from Tom. The nightmare she'd dreamt had been just that.  
The skilled hands crept their way back up to her hips, a knee spreading her legs apart. Alice waited with bated breath, excited, anticipating the thrill of the pleasure that would soon strike. As soon as she felt his hardened length stroke her bottom lightly, she let out a breathy moan, eyes already rolling to the back of her head.  
As the cool air seemed to suddenly get to her, goose bumps rising all over her body, Alice came to the realisation her clothes had been discarded from her body. And Tom was preparing to enter her in a far deeper way than he'd yet to try. She could hardly take the agonising wait – he knew how she hated to be treated like glass.  
"Mmm…Tom…" she moaned, hoping to speed up the process.  
She could feel his breath lower to her ear and she shivered in exquisite excitement.  
"Wrong name, dearie."  
With a cry escaping her lips unwillingly, Alice began to struggle. Chuckling darkly, his rough hand tugged a fistful of her long dark hair hard, forcing her ear level with his lips again. It would be more fun if she was willing, he thought, but he'd have his fun either way. After all, he was far stronger than she was.  
Bemused by the girl's puzzlement, the man smiled grimly to himself. He could have some fun with her temporary mental state before her body – he had time.

Alice struggled as her hair was grasped in his fist, tears coming to her eyes as her whole head stung.  
Gasping in pain, she demanded, "Where's Tom? I swear, if you or Lukrasta have hurt him…"  
"Is he really all that's on your mind, girl? Tell me, what's so wonderful about him anyway? He's probably not as amazing as you think. He's still a scrawny little…"  
"What gives you the right to talk about Tom like that?" Alice interrupted angrily. "Belong together, we do, and always will."  
Her violator stared down at her for a moment then shook his head and laughed.  
"You're so naïve, girl. At the age you are now, how can you possibly know about love? You have no idea how pricey love is. All Lukrasta's put you through and you've stayed sane so far…if he can't make you break, I vow to. You'll die alone and will never be loved again. We're not that different, you know."  
"I ain't anything like you," Alice spat indignantly, "Don't abuse people, do I? Don't take pride and pleasure in doing so, either."  
"…True, you don't violate people. You may deny it all you like but how many have touched you, my girl, hm? We're very much alike; both not meant for love, as yet we are meant for-"  
"Shut up!"  
Alice tossed her head defiantly, trying to break free of the man's grip. She still didn't recognise him.  
Shocked by her defiance, the man glared down at her. Alice's chest moved up and down heavily, but he could sense her ice-cold eyes behind the material. It was the Alice, the side of her, everyone who knew her, knew all too well.  
"Ain't ever stopped loving Tom. Saved me from Bony Lizzie, he did, and has always been my hero. Always had my heart, he has. Even after I treated him coldly to protect him, he came back for me when I needed him to save me from Lukrasta. And, guess what, he did; I gave myself to him willingly and he showed me a sweet escape from that overbearing prison. Despite all we've been through, I know it's love between us. I'll give my body to no other willingly. It's you that doesn't know what love is and you're on the losing side…  
"Over the years, I've learnt what it truly means to care for someone so deeply, you'd lay down your own life in a heartbeat for 'em. Feel mine and Tom's love with all my being, I do. Kill me today if you want, but my love for Tom will guide my soul to him. My love will always be close to his heart. Do your worst, but you can't hurt all of me. You will never break me 'cos I will always fight for Tom Ward – the best spook the world has ever seen."  
Frozen in astonishment, the man relinquished Alice's hair for a moment. She no longer felt his skin against hers and her head fell forwards, relaxing onto the pillow between her arms.

What Alice didn't know, was that the man had only got off her to get the knife kept on the bedside table. As soon as she felt the bed shake before he pressed his body against hers again, she tensed and lifted her head. He removed the piece of material from her eyes then grabbed her hair again, turning her head at an angle to look at him. His face shrouded by a dark expression, the man held the metal blade to her forehead.  
Alice immediately felt nauseous with anticipation. Now she recognised him and her heart dropped. It hadn't been a nightmare after all and she was facing the emotionless green-eyed gaze of the man Lukrasta had sold her to: Gerald. His eyes seemed to pierce her soul and the corners of his mouth curved upside down into a malevolent scowl.  
"You really are quite the young woman, girl. But you still have a lot to learn. For instance…"  
Gerald began to slice the blade along Alice's forehead slowly. She groaned at the stinging agony as blood trickled down her forehead. The man then brutally, regardless of the cut, threw her head down onto the pillow. As he lecherously grazed his eyes along the breathtaking body on the bed, Gerald set down the knife before leaning his chin on her shoulder, grinning as he heard her sobs on the pillow.  
Gerald travelled his hand down Alice's back, tracing her spine until he reached her bottom, delivering her an abrupt slap on the cheek, causing her head to snap up.  
Gerald whispered in a hiss close to Alice's ear, "Listen up, dearie. I'm about to make you forget about your little beau. Each time I hear his name from your filthy trap, you'll feel that same knife on your flesh. As of now, it's a different name you'll be screaming. Is that clear, my girl?"  
Leaving Alice no room to reply, Gerald sucked on his finger, leaving his lips close to Alice's ear so she could hear it. She shivered as she understood what he was about to do; he inserted a finger into Alice's clit.  
Alice squirmed in anguish as she threw her head back at the sharp pain it caused her still. Only Tom was ever gentle with her.  
Gerald gripped her hair again.  
"Don't fight me, wench. I'll always win in the end and I have no problem running the knife through one of your scars. If you don't want that, dearie, I suggest you start complying."  
Alice lowered her head again, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
Gerald ran his hands over Alice's hips and spread her legs even wider. She felt pain shoot through her backside like lightning as he started to ease in. Gerald ignored her desperate crying pleas to stop as she felt herself being stretched. This man was roughly the same size as Lukrasta and that struck fear deep inside Alice's heart.  
Gerald reached under her with one hand and grabbed one of her breasts, harshly pinching the sensitive petite nipple between his fingers. At the same time, he clamped the flesh of her ear between his teeth, sucking roughly.  
Alice whimpered as Gerald pushed all the way in, drawing a bone-shilling yelp from her. Sweat began to drizzle on Alice's skin, stinging the fresh cut. Her sweat, blood and tears stained the pillow and bed sheets as he pulled out then thrust back in, grunting in pleasure but never releasing Alice's ear.

This new, callous violation of Alice's body made her feel almost broken. She was tired of the way men took advantage of her. The only one who treated her differently, who understood her, was Tom. Without him, Alice could no longer see the point of her life, of her survival. But she couldn't accept Lukrasta had killed him, she just couldn't.  
Interrupting her thoughts, Gerald grabbed at Alice's hair as he increased his thrusts. Rutting over the girl's weakened body, he could feel himself reaching his peak.

Eventually, Gerald released all inside Alice and pulled out. He said not a word as she collapsed on the bed. He got off her, gathered his clothes off the floor and got dressed.  
Being as Alice now appeared frail, Gerald saw no harm cutting the ropes that bound her wrists. When he did so, her arms just dropped onto the pillow and did not move, so he left her alone in a muffled whining, messy state.

Alice turned on her side, every fibre of her cramped body screaming in excruciating pain. The trouble was, memories of the night before with that ruthless man were murky in her mind. Had she remembered, maybe she'd have been spared at least a fraction of the pain. Maybe her body wouldn't be aching as much as it was now. She let the tears shed, her nails going to her teeth that were clamped together behind her trembling lips.  
Poor Alice, she felt all was lost. Even if she somehow did escape, yet, another kind of hell, how on Earth could she ever find Tom? Gerald had weakened her far worse than Lukrasta had. The only night spent with Lukrasta that she could compare this to (well, two nights) was when she first discovered Tom's death. It had weakened her mentally and so she'd succumbed to the inflicted pain far more quickly and easily. Then, of course, there was her first time with the mage who hadn't bothered to go slow and even the tiniest bit gentle.  
This was no different; for all she knew, Lukrasta could've taken Tom back to the dark tower and slaughtered him there in front of a jeering audience. The mere thought of Tom dying at the hands of a mage who'd taken Alice's virginity, without a single weapon to defend himself, made Alice weep harder and make her even less wilful to live than before.  
The young woman glanced over at the bedside table but, to her dismay, Gerald had taken the knife with him. She tried a spell but it fizzled – proof that Lukrasta had only left alone one tiny spark of power in her. Oh, the irony!

Alice buried her face into the pillow and continued to sob. Alice Deane had never felt this helpless since her childhood and now look at her. No good memory could heal these internal scars now. Her dignity had been snatched years ago, Lukrasta had taken Tom out of Alice's reach and her mind had been shattered. The ocean of tears carried the mentally-exhausted Alice out of this dark abyss, somewhere she and Tom could be together with no complications or obstacles…


	15. Lost Memory

Alice didn't break as Gerald envisaged.  
The months flew by and Alice eventually discovered she was with child…Tom's child. That was the only thing that keeping her going throughout the day. At some point, she'd somehow managed to sway Gerald to let her keep the baby. He wasn't happy and still kept her on her toes in the day as always. At least, he did not touch her or come near her at night. He'd shown a tiny shred of human courtesy and gave her the unused spare room she'd never been in before. A little rundown, yes, but Alice was grateful she no longer had to sleep with such a cruel man and made the most of it, taking great care of the room.  
However, she had to by the furniture for her baby herself. The room was the only decency Gerald showed her, along with allowing her privacy at night. He'd raised his hand to Alice on multiple occasions – too many to count with fingers – actually hit her on most, and even threatened to beat her with his belt at some point. All of this treatment and no longer having the option to deliver herself from this dark life, Alice became nothing more than a lifeless shadow of her former self. Her expression was always the same, dull, and her eyes became as emotionless as her master's. She'd lost her first and only love and, had the baby not come about, it was certain she'd have committed suicide months ago.  
The only ray of joy, her sunlight, Alice had in her pitiful life was at night when she was fast asleep. It was the only time she was able to see Tom's, her spook's, face.

Word got around that the Chipenden Spook's old companion, Alice Deane, had returned to his life, filled it with new hope, then had been snatched from him. Tom Ward's family knew only half of what went on in their friendship and could only guess that it had developed into something more, until someone had come along and separated them. The gossip that the witch had gone missing kept Topley more lively. The only place that wasn't was Brewer's Farm.  
The Wards were sickened with worry for Tom as he hadn't seen them in a while. This new gossip around Topley only worsened their worry and it greyed the farm well. Jack Ward, the owner of the farm, had more bitter thoughts than his wife and younger brother. He'd persuaded himself that good-for-nothing wench had left his youngest brother willingly. Jack had heard she was somewhere near Topley – but they were just rumours.  
Weren't they?

Even the weather seemed to reflect the two lovers' lives. Since their departure, the sky had been dark with clouds saturated with gloom looming over the landscape. The land itself seemed to stand still. The Wards wanted things to work out the way they're supposed to; they wished the spook they knew so well to be alive and safe. The gossip in Topley was just never-ending.  
Still, life in Gerald's house continued for poor Alice. It was the only life she knew and never did find the strength to visit Topley, where Tom spent his childhood, nor did she want to face his family who lived, ironically, on the other side of Topley.

Alice had a doctor visiting her once a week to ensure everything was fine. He was the only one to see Gerald's maid, no one else, save for Gerald, of course. The doctor was a man called Dr. Stirling: a kindly fellow who tried his best to ensure Alice's and her baby's welfare. He'd pleaded with Gerald to let her go and find the father of her baby, that she was too young to be dealing with this alone, but Gerald was unmoving. The man had noted how much better the house looked since he'd bought Alice and, in her current condition, she'd become more cooperative and he was almost certain that, when the baby was born, she'd remain compliant once he showed her how her baby's life was also in his hands. Gerald refused to let that go.

After a while, Dr. Stirling gave up on his pleas and only focused on Alice.  
Unfortunately, Alice's mental stability (well, so far) could not be said for Tom…

* * *

Since Lukrasta had thrown Tom in a portal that landed him on the bed in his deceased master's old room on Anglezarke Moor, Tom had forgotten everything – so far as to say he'd forgotten who he was. All that happened just seemed too much like a dream to be real and quickly degraded to nothing more than flashes at the back of his mind that only appeared occasionally.

During the nights following on from that, Tom Ward had often been visited in his dreams by a pretty young woman with long black curls and such sparkling big brown eyes. But she vanished just as quickly as she appeared and Tom failed time and time again to remember her name or even what she looked like until she'd visit him again the following night.

He slowly forgot everything and only knew his lonely life on Anglezarke Moor. Lukrasta really couldn't have planned it any better; he'd finally given this boy the lonely life he'd, all along, been told he'd get. The timid boy who never left the house was hardly anything like Lukrasta's arch nemesis who'd hurt his pride at just sixteen years old; he couldn't see a trace of the Chipenden Spook in this ghostly look-alike he spied on through a mirror since the boy's arrival on Anglezarke. In all honesty, he was astounded to find how quickly the boy had forgotten everything. Lukrasta had expected to wait a while, but was glad to know he never had to.

Tom often looked forward to his sleep and he always forgot why until he dreamed of…her. For several months, he'd noted her tummy getting bigger and bigger. He'd ask her for her name, she'd give it to him with tearful eyes, and then the dream would end with her lips against his. Every dream was the same, only every time he asked her name, she got more and more upset.  
Finally, after a few years, there was one night he had no dream, no visit. It would seem like she'd given up on him or something like that.

That following morning, Tom was baffled. He'd never remembered any of his dreams before as yet he was beginning to remember them now. He remembered the consistent visits of a young woman, clearly pregnant, for several months before the bump started to go down. Then, all of a sudden, the night before, she paid no visit. Why had she stopped? Was his constant asking for her name too irritating when he honestly couldn't remember?  
Tom's head suddenly began to throb so he slipped out of bed, deciding he needed some fresh air and opened the window. As he stared out at the cold, grey landscape, as if a wave had come over him, Tom realised that he knew very little about himself. He wondered if he had someone waiting for him back at home – well, wherever home was. Tom grew restless and wondered what sort of work he used to do. A gut feeling told him it was a trade, but what was it? Oh, this lost memory maddened him.  
He walked away from the window and started pacing around the room, thinking hard as if it would help jog his memory.  
Nothing.  
Tom halted in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. He saw a skinny young man of twenty-five, with brown hair so dark, it looked almost black unless he was under sunlight. He had green eyes that looked as if they once shone with happiness. The sleeves of the white shirt he wore were rolled just past his forearms. He also wore brown trousers and his hair was tied back. Around Tom's neck was a special key that seemed to open almost any lock. He somehow knew it wasn't given to him by anyone close, but it was once used to free someone he cared about. The key was just another mystery from his past that gave him a feeling, but, unfortunately, had to be left unanswered.  
He continued to stare at his reflection and sighed, "Who are you?"  
Like a trigger, that one sentence spurred him to leave the house. He couldn't wait anymore, he had to find out who he was.

Tom strode downstairs and, scooping up his cloak from the finial of the newel post, slipped on his dark cloak and headed out the door.  
Nevertheless, fate is full of surprises. So it was inevitable that Tom should cross paths with someone from his past who knew him well enough to go searching for him on Anglezarke Moor: where the second house that was bequeathed to him stood.  
As he walked by the stream, Tom felt a pair of eyes watching him. He cautiously shifted his eyes to the left, then to the right. For a moment, he thought he spotted a movement in the trees. But there was nothing there.  
It was probably just a bird, so he thought.  
Then, as he pressed on, he heard a voice call after him, "Tom…Tom Ward?"  
Tom spun round and his eyes widened when he saw a woman a couple of years younger than him with mousy hair standing there with her arms dangling by her sides, her hands clenching into fists, shaking.  
When she looked into his eyes, he noticed that her left eye was blue, the right brown. Tears began to prickle on her freckled cheeks. Her face looked like it used to be a bright, cheerful face. At first glance, you'd have thought her a healthy farmer's daughter, but there was something about the expression in her eyes that was off-putting.  
"Oh, god!" the woman gasped, holding a hand over her lips. "It _is_ you! I've been looking all over the County for you. What made you choose to hide out here? What happened to you in Cymru? Who cares? Oh, Tom, I'm just glad you're alive!"  
"I-I'm sorry…do I know you?"  
"Don't you recognise me? I'm Jenny, remember…your old apprentice?" she asked in a shaky, almost fearful voice.  
"My old apprentice?"  
"Well, you told me first year that a spook has five years of training. I _was_ fifteen when you took me on and I am now twenty-three…we're exactly two years apart…oh, come on, Tom, you _must_ remember!" Jenny pleaded.  
Tom shook his head, confused.  
"I'm sorry…I just don't remember you. What are you doing here, anyway?"  
"Weren't you listening? Looking for you! You've been missing for a good few years, Tom, everybody is starting to believe you're dead."  
"I have a family?"  
His heart raced at the thought of it.  
"Yes. Remember? Your older brothers Jack and James. Jack's family: Ellie, Mary and Matthew. I've been to see them, Tom, they're sickened by the anxiety they have for you. You _are_ a spook, Tom, so I just told them you were away on business when the Chipenden house burnt to the ground. I got away in time but suffered a few burns just trying to escape. Then a few bruises from…"  
"Wait…I'm a _what_?"  
"It's your trade: a spook."  
A spook…wait, the Chipenden house…burning…that girl in the window.  
That one vague memory made Tom snap his gaze back to Jenny as it started coming back to him. She resembled that girl a lot, so much it was scary. Then, now he thought about it, her name rang a bell.  
Jenny…Jenny…"Jenny!"  
It was his own voice shouting her name, like he was mourning. Had he thought this girl was dead?  
Tom just had so many questions, so he invited without thinking, "Why don't you come back with me to the house?"  
Jenny's face fell.  
"You really don't remember, do you?" she asked quietly.  
Tom could merely shrug in reply.  
At first, he thought she was going to decline.  
Then she nodded and so they walked back to the house in silence.

Once back at the house, Tom took both his and Jenny's cloaks and hung them on the finial from their hoods. He noted how they looked the same. Was this part of his trade? To wear a dark cloak? Well, he guessed he'd find out soon enough.  
After that, Jenny walked over and took Tom's hand, leading him swiftly away from the stairs and into the kitchen. Not once did Jenny look at him, she seemed more concentrated on getting him to sit down than anything else.  
When the two finally did sit down at the table, Jenny began by asking him, "So, you don't remember anything?"  
Tom shook his head uncertainly.  
"Well, do you at least remember when your memory first went bad?"  
He thought hard. Now that she'd got him thinking about it…he could remember when it started.  
"I guess when you thought I was missing. All I know is I woke up in bed here and I couldn't remember a single thing. But then when I saw you, a flash of my memory came back. I remember yelling your name, seeing you trapped in a room in the house that was burning. As soon as I started processing your name in my head, I seemed to be shouting your name in my head. That's when that fragment started coming together," Tom explained.  
Jenny listened attentively while an idea sparked in her mind. If Tom could recall all that just by meeting her…maybe he'd remember his family and more that way too. But what was all that about her being trapped? Tom wasn't even there at the time so how would he know? Never mind, maybe things would be clear once his memory was regained.

It was silent for a while, a comprehensive silence.  
Finally, Jenny spoke up.  
"Right, Tom, I think we should go and see your family," she proposed decisively.  
Tom's heart raced again but he had to be cautious. He was curious as to why the girl had suddenly come out with that.  
"Why the sudden suggestion?" he asked, eyebrow raised.  
Jenny rolled her eyes. There was the Tom she knew.  
"I think it will help you," she replied gingerly.  
She didn't need to say anymore. Now Tom realised her intentions and he looked forward to seeing his family, maybe it _could_ help his memory. It certainly would do him good to get away from brooding Anglezarke Moor and he was sure he wouldn't miss it in the slightest.  
"When do you think we should leave?" she asked him.  
"As soon as possible," he replied, eyes shining again with a newfound determination. How Jenny had missed that.

So saying, they left the kitchen and quickly slipped on their cloaks. Tom didn't falter as they left the dark, cold house for the chilly but much more open fresh air.

As Tom followed Jenny away from Anglezarke Moor, he took in his surroundings. This route seemed familiar to him, somehow. Jenny glanced sideways at him from the corner of her eye and smiled to herself, now almost certain he would remember his family, maybe even the village he grew up by, once he saw them.

It took a few days but finally, Jenny pointed up ahead with her right index finger, a rowan wood staff held in her left hand of course, towards a village.  
"That's Topley, Tom, and beyond that is the farm you grew up in. Ellie, her children and your brother, James should be in. Jack should be working out in the fields at around this time," Jenny announced.  
Then, she led on, Tom behind her.

The sights and sounds as they weaved their way through the village reminded Tom of something. He tried to take in as much as he could but, being only human, he couldn't take it all in at once. It only reminded him, it didn't make his memory clearer as Jenny had hoped. He continued following her until suddenly, he stopped. He could've sworn he saw a young woman with long black hair, her eyes downcast. Tom felt lost. The woman seemed like someone he once knew.  
Jenny, having realised Tom was no longer at her heels, rolled her eyes and drew herself back level with him.  
Staring up at him, she asked, "Is something wrong?"  
"I thought I saw…someone. She looked familiar, like I once knew her."  
Jenny sighed.  
"Your mind's probably just playing tricks because you're going to see your family again. Come on," she urged.  
Tom nodded as they resumed their way to the farm.

When the two stopped outside a gate, Jenny turned to face Tom.  
"Does any of this look familiar to you?" she asked him.  
Tom glanced down at her before he heard a cheerful little girl's voice. It was faint because it was a memory but the voice said: "Uncle Tom! Uncle Tom!"  
From out of the closed door a little girl came bounding towards him.  
Suddenly, she disappeared into thin air.  
"Well?"  
Tom shook his head to snap himself back to reality.  
"That was strange…a little girl was running towards me calling _Uncle Tom_ …"  
Jenny's eyes widened and she smiled.  
"Your niece: Mary!"  
"Actually, I remember that name…"  
"Come on, Tom, your family need to see you're alive," Jenny told him, opening the gate then closing it behind them as she pulled him through, towards the farmhouse.

At the front door, Jenny knocked and within seconds, a girl peeped out. She looked around thirteen or fourteen and a little boy appeared next to her, around nine years old. They grinned up at Jenny before staring up Tom. The girl's eyes sparkled. She recognised her uncle anywhere.  
"Uncle Tom!" she gasped.  
Tom smiled. It was the little girl he'd seen just seconds ago, the memory of her…wow, his niece had grown! Her voice was still sweet and high-pitched, thankfully something she hadn't inherited from her father.  
"Hello, Mary," he said.  
Jenny glanced over at him. He was remembering his family more quickly than he was remembering her.  
Just one look at Matthew and he knew who he was: he was his father's son all right, and Tom's nephew. Matthew, at first, didn't understand why his sister was so thrilled until she explained who Tom was. She hugged her uncle around the waist and he returned that hug. Her face once resembled her father's, but now it reminded him of…  
As Tom straightened himself up when Mary let go, another face appeared and she opened the door wider. She clamped her hands to her cheeks when she saw him.  
"Oh, my…Tom!" she cried, hugging him warmly.  
She had hair the colour of straw and Mary's face now looked a lot like hers. It was the woman's voice that reminded him who she was.  
"It's nice to see you again, Ellie."  
Tom noticed her moistened eyes as she let go.  
"We all were led to believe you were dead. We were told about your house in Chipenden…I'm really sorry."  
Tom felt a wave of sadness wash over him. Now he was regaining his memories, he remembered the Chipenden house well. It sprung many memories for him and the girl in his dreams was in most of them. Who was she?  
Breaking him away from his thoughts, Ellie thanked Jenny emotionally and invited them both inside. Mary and Matthew followed close at their mother's heels, Tom and Jenny behind them. Matthew kept on glancing back at Tom who'd not see his nephew since he was seventeen – when Matthew was just a babe in arms.

Ellie took them through to the kitchen where James sat at the table. When she stepped to one side and his little brother came into view, James rose to his feet in an instant. Tom was reminded by his appearance that this was James: his second-eldest brother. The pair approached then embraced in a brotherly way, struggling to fight back the tears.  
"Where the hell have you been, Tom? What happened to you?"  
Tom still couldn't answer because he couldn't remember that part. Jenny quickly interrupted by telling them he was on 'spook's business' and living in his Anglezarke house for the time being.  
There was a long pause.

"We owe you, Jenny, for bringing Tom back to us," James said finally as he and Tom let go, hastily wiping their eyes, almost embarrassed.  
Mary had to stifle a giggle. She'd never seen a man cry before.  
"Mammy, Uncle James said 'hell'. Does that mean I can say it too?" Matthew asked his mother.  
Ellie shot James a scowl who merely shrugged in reply. She then looked down at her son and answered, "No, you cannot."  
This was such a joyous reunion and Jack was missing out.  
"When will Jack be in, Ellie? He's missing out on his brother's return," Jenny asked her.  
Ellie sighed.  
"Hopefully, soon, Jenny."  
So, once everyone had got used to Tom's return, they all sat down at the table, waiting for Jack to come back home.

Jack didn't come back until noon and when he did, he froze, his eyes widening at the sight of Tom. Dead silence filled the air, a sense of dread and anticipation blended in as all eyes fixed on the farmer. Contrariwise, Tom smiled. Now he was remembered his eldest brother too. Unfortunately, that also meant recalling all the times Jack had treated his brother coldly and Tom's smile then weakened, feeling a little hesitant. Jack was unpredictable sometimes.  
Tom felt hesitant, that is, until Jack exclaimed, "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!"  
When he cracked a smile, Tom got to his feet and they embraced like he and James had done.  
"Welcome back, Tom," Jack half-laughed, half-cried.  
Tears formed in Tom's eyes again too so he came to the realisation of how long he'd been away from his family and just how much he'd missed them all. It was a shame the rest of his brothers weren't here now he could remember his family again – they'd all been told when they gathered at jack's farm that their youngest brother was dead too.

As soon as the pair sat down, the heart-warming family evening commenced. They joked, they laughed, they talked…it was all Tom had been waiting to do with them since he first began his trade.  
Mary was sitting next to Tom and she turned to him, smiling sweetly.  
"Uncle Tom, could you teach me how to be a spook?" she asked.  
Everybody chuckled.  
"Being a spook requires certain abilities, love; like being a seventh son of a seventh son or a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter," Ellie told her, nodding towards Jenny. She then turned to Tom and apologised, "Sorry, Tom, she more she's grown, the more curious she's got."  
"It's fine, Ellie."  
"So, Tom, we heard that you found that girl, Alice again. Did she leave you, or were you separated?" Jack asked his brother. He had to know and couldn't help but hope it was the first one; he never approved of the witch.  
"Alice?"  
The family at him, puzzled.  
"Err…Tom lost a lot of memory while doing spook business and taking up his house on Anglezarke Moor for the job. That's why I brought him here mainly, and to also put your minds at ease. Seeing all of you has helped him remember his family, but it hasn't helped him remember…everything that happened," Jenny explained carefully. The part about 'spook's business' was a terrible lie, she knew, but there's no way she could confess to the Wards he'd been captured by a threatening mage. It would also put Tom in an emotional state. Quite frankly, she didn't know the full story herself – neither did she think she wanted to.  
They all exchanged looks as they understood what she meant by Tom not remembering everything.  
"Well, the past is past," Jack said, almost relieved, "Let's just enjoy tonight where Tom has finally come back."  
They all had a toast and a late supper to celebrate Tom's return. Still, a question wandered across his mind that seemed to be bugging Tom: who was the mysterious girl in his dreams and memory? Was it Alice, the girl Jenny and Jack both had mentioned to him?

Noticing his discomfort, Mary decided to cheer him up with the good news and tapped on his arm to get his attention.  
"Uncle Tom, Uncle James is finally getting married."  
Tom nearly spat out his drink.  
"Married? James…is that true?" he asked his brother.  
James nodded.  
"Who's the lucky woman?" Tom asked, a grin splitting from ear to ear. Finally, someone James could love like Jack loved Ellie.  
"My oldest sister," Jenny piped up. "My real sister. She came to Topley about a year ago and, well, then she and James crossed paths."  
Tom's eyes widened in shock towards Jenny. He might only remember her vaguely, but he did remember her having six older sisters whom she never met when because she was fostered, which was why he never met them either.  
"I've never met your sisters and now I'm hearing one is marrying my brother?"  
Jenny grinned.  
"You were missing, Tom, and besides, trust me, they're perfect for each other."  
James smiled over at her in gratitude.  
"When can I meet her?" Tom asked.  
"She's arriving tomorrow and I'm sure Jack will let you stay for a day or two," James replied, looking over at Jack.  
"You can stay for as long as you want, Tom," Jack told him, erupting a look of shock from everyone. "Hey, I can't be horrible to him forever, can I?" Jack defended in a mocking hurt tone of voice.  
They all blinked then nodded.  
It truly was a lovely night and Tom was meeting James' betrothed tomorrow.

However, it was Mary again who broke the peace when she asked Tom if he had a lover. Why did the word make his stomach churn? Did he love someone once that he couldn't remember?  
Jack scowled at his daughter.  
"Sorry, tom, I think Mary's curiosity has turned her into a romantic. I'm certain she'll find a lad soon."  
"Romance is beautiful, daddy," Mary gushed.  
Ellie smiled that smile at Jack so he couldn't argue. He'd found love with a wonderful, kind, warm-hearted woman. Should there be a reason his daughter couldn't find love?

After dinner, Ellie showed Tom and Jenny to their rooms once they'd bid everyone goodnight. When she disappeared downstairs, Tom thanked Jenny for everything she'd done for him. But, almost as soon as he'd turned to go into his room and turn in for the night, Jenny grabbed his forearm to turn him back round to face her.  
As he looked at her, those eyes of hers looked pleading and tearful.  
"Do you really not remember me still?" she asked softly.  
Tom tried to smile but couldn't as he shook his head in apology.  
"I can only remember you vaguely."  
Jenny had another thought. They say that one touch can also heal a person's memory. There was a secret, a guilty one Tom had asked her to forget and never mention again when he'd decided to go after Alice. Perhaps if he'd stayed, she could've been the one to make him happy. That secret had only occurred because she had comforted him when he'd really hit an all-time low with Alice leaving him. Perhaps if she acted now while his memory of Alice was scarce, perhaps she could have that happiness with him – not Alice. After all, she'd matured into a young woman and maybe he saw that in her too.  
It was worth a try. So, without uttering a single word, she laid a hand on his cheek (a little tense) and stood on he toes to press her lips on his.  
It was a quick peck on the lips and when she pulled away, he did remember.

Tom began to remember the guilty secret; how it didn't help the pain he couldn't now comprehend. This kiss was just as clumsy and inexperienced as the last. She was no longer his apprentice but was still his friend and he hated to dash her hopes and hurt her feelings, but his heart just wasn't moved.  
The look in his eyes showed no love, just kindness, and so Jenny knew she'd failed to spark in a hope of feelings for her in him.  
"Jenny, I remember you clearly now. But I could've sworn you were dead…"  
Jenny swiftly cut him off and explained what really happened. The Kobalos had come and burned the house, but she'd eventually escaped through the window and climbed down. She hid out of sight until they were gone before she sat and decided what she'd do.

At the end of her tale, Tom was intrigued and didn't know why he thought she was dead. He still didn't know what had happened before he found himself in the bed on Anglezarke Moor. He still didn't know who that mystery girl was.  
Unable to take any more confusion, he simply thanked Jenny again with a smile before they both disappeared into their rooms. Before she entered, Jenny gave one last longing glance back at Tom. She wouldn't force him into a relationship, even if he'd forgotten, she knew where his heart really belonged.

Once he was settled in bed, Tom stared up at the ceiling and played with his fingers. Gradually, his eyes closed as he drifted off to a peaceful sleep. He was so tired, he didn't catch the face of a mage eyeing him suspiciously through the mirror.


	16. The Returning Spook

Tom easily fell into a pleasant routine at his old home. He loved being able to spend more time with his family. Once he felt up to it, he started getting back into his spook's routine as well. From there, after he'd come home from spook's business with Jenny, he would play games outside with his niece and nephew. He also helped Jack when he was free and met James' fiancée – Jenny's oldest, real sister. He liked her almost as much as he did Jack's wife.  
Ellie often complimented Tom for his patience with her children and it didn't look like his family wanted him and Jenny to leave. Secretly, he still clung onto the hope that all of his memory would return soon, that he'd find out if there was someone waiting for him – no matter how many times his apprentice tried to convince him, Tom just instinctively knew all of his memory had not returned.  
However, he was content to spend his days with his family for the time being; he had a pleasant home at the farm.

On one of these particular passing days, the returning spook looked at his reflection in the mirror. Ellie had insisted on getting his hair cut, so his dark brown hair was now short and a little tousled. He was growing a bit of stubble on his cheeks and he'd gained a couple more inches in height since he'd first woken up on Anglezarke Moor.  
For some reason, despite knowing he should feel whole again after seeing his family so warm, welcoming and pleased to see him, that loneliness always came back to haunt Tom when he had a few moments to himself. It was like there was still something missing, although he wasn't sure what.  
Shaking off the feeling, Tom left the room and walked downstairs. Jack and James had encouraged him to go down to the village with them, for they were going to buy a present (Jack had secretly told Tom, so the girls wouldn't hear, that he and James were going to buy James' fiancée a wedding present: a jewellery box). Tom knew that Jack just wanted to get out of Ellie badgering him to get the girl a present himself.

Tom waited outside of the carpenter's workshop while the other two went into the carpenter's workshop, the carpenter being a friend of James, to see if the jewellery box James had requested was finished.  
Tom was leaning against the wall, passing off the stares the villagers cast his way, when there was a commotion to his left outside the tavern. He snapped his head towards the noise: a young woman was running towards him, a few men chasing after her.  
"Stop her! Thief!"  
She ran into him, his arms wrapped tightly around her and brought her to the ground. She struggled and beat him with her fists, screaming at him to let her go. The men reached for the two and pulled the girl up by her dress.  
"Let go of me!"  
"I'll have my coins back, wench," the burliest man hissed.  
"Don't have your coins!"  
Tom brushed himself off and took the hand of one of the men who'd helped him to his feet.  
"My thanks for your assistance: this thief has been dodging us for days."  
"I ain't a thief," the girl argued but the man who held her backhanded her and she cried out in pain.  
Tom's jaw clenched; he didn't like to see a woman treated like that, no matter what wrong she did.  
"No. You're worse: a whore if ever I saw one. I've seen you before…some time back in that tower. Maybe a night locked up will make you less bold?"  
The young woman looked just as baffled as Tom but continued to protest.  
"Don't call me that! Not a whore, far from one, I am! Ain't seen you before, either!"  
The group of men threw their heads back, laughing in disbelief. The woman wiped away the blood on her lip.  
"Throw her in a cell."  
"No, please, don't do that! Have mercy!"  
Tom felt a pang of guilt in his heart as he watched the men drag the screaming girl away and he was the one that captured her. It was his doing.  
"I'm a horrible person," he sighed to himself.  
Tom's eyes remained on the spot where the woman had been just moments earlier.  
"What was the commotion about?" James asked, appearing out of the workshop before Jack.  
Tom turned his head to find Jack with a rectangular object wrapped up under his arm.  
"Oh, a young woman was being chased by some men who claimed she was a thief. They just dragged her away to lock her up for the night." "Poor thing…she's probably innocent. This village has grown dangerous for women out on the streets for the past four years," Jack explained.  
Tom felt even worse at Jack's words and as they walked back, Jack a few paces in front, Tom confided with James about what he did to help those men.  
James clapped his little brother on the shoulder.  
"Don't worry, Tom. That doesn't make you a bad person – you didn't know the situation and just acted on a whim. It's what anyone would do."  
Still, on their way back to the farm, Tom's thoughts remained on the young woman and he pondered what he could do to help her…

The next morning, Tom helped Jack again.  
Jack then excused him, seeing as his brother's mind was elsewhere. Then, Tom hurried up to his room and took out a small leather pouch from under his pillow, weighing it in his palm. It was the money he'd earned from the two jobs he'd told Jenny he'd rather deal with alone the night before.  
Tom changed into a clean shirt and a pair of clean trousers. He tucked the leather pouch into his pocket and headed out for the village.

He didn't need to ask where the village dungeons were – a small set of cells and a square bit of room for the village warden a little way underground – and when he entered, the village warden stared down at him suspiciously.  
"I'm here to enquire after a young woman who was brought here yesterday. The men said she was a thief but didn't look like they were from around here."  
"Aye, I know her. These men brought her here yesterday; they brought her again this morning. Follow me."  
Tom followed the village warden to the end of the small hall and stopped in front of a cell with just one person in it. A young woman sat on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest, her long hair hiding her face with a ribbon wrapped a few times around her neck so it looked like a choker.  
"Wake up! You have a visitor."  
Tom was led into the cell and he timidly tapped the woman's shoulder.  
She finally looked up at him, eyes widened.  
"You…" Quicker than the eye could see, she slapped him hard across the face and his hand flew to his cheek, letting out a short gasp of shock.  
The village warden drew level with him.  
"You ought to pay for that, woman. Wait until I get my hands on you-" He took a step towards her but Tom held up his hand to stop him.  
"It was my fault, I frightened her."  
The woman stared at Tom and his eyes travelled up and down her body. Now she was standing in the light, he could see her more clearly. She had long black hair, which looked dirty and matted, her face smeared with dirt and tears. She was tall without a pick on her, dress ripped at the waist so the wrap hung off the waistline in places and her blouse was torn, stretched at the sleeves a little. Bruises covered her body and anger arose in Tom to see them.  
"What's your name?"  
"What's yours?" she asked, deflecting the question as if he was being too forward.  
"I asked you first."  
"I'm…" she looked hesitant and he tried to hide his confusion.  
Finally, she responded, "…Alice."  
"I'm Tom Ward. Where do you live, Alice?"  
"Here at the moment," she said quickly.  
Tom couldn't help but admire her sharp tongue.  
"Not for long."  
"What?"  
"I'm getting you out of here."  
Alice frowned.  
"Why do that? You're the one that handed me over to 'em in the first place, ain't you? Why waste your money on my freedom?"  
Tom cast his eyes down to the floor and bit his lip.  
"I…err…wanted to apologise. I don't believe you're a thief."  
"That man who claimed I was a thief…went in the tavern and he sat next to me, saying we met before and thrust some money in my hand, ordering me to spend the night. Don't like it when men do that so I refused but he wouldn't take his money back. If I'm the one in the wrong, then excuse me."  
Tom continued to stare at her and felt there was something familiar about her.  
"Where do you come from?" he asked.  
"What's it to you?"  
Tom rolled his eyes. Why did she have to be difficult?  
"Very well. Warden…" Tom dumped a handful of coins in the village warden's hand and he nearly dropped the money in surprise.  
"I'd like to purchase her freedom."  
The village warden looked down at Alice.  
"Away with you then, whore."  
"Don't call her that," Tom said through clenched teeth as he helped the woman to her feet.  
Alice gave him a grateful smile before Tom took her outside. The village warden tripped her before they'd left the cell and she fell into Tom's arms. He steadied her and they continued on their way, ignoring the village warden's laughter.

Outside, Tom turned to Alice as they halted and attempted a smile.  
"Can I walk you home?" He wanted to make sure she was safe.  
"Thanks, but you've done enough."  
Without another word, she turned on her heels in the opposite direction and started to walk away. Tom stared after her, his heart sinking. He swore he recognised her but he just couldn't put his finger on it.  
For some reason, he felt uneasy. So, he started to follow her, keeping a fair distance. Alice looked back behind her and Tom looked the other way.  
She seemed satisfied no one was following her, wrapped her shawl tighter around her body and turned down an alleyway.  
Tom recalled it led out of Topley. 


	17. More than Perfect

"Ah, there you are, girl. Finally!"  
Someone grabbed Alice's arms and held them firmly behind her back. Another man forced her up against the wall, his hand covering her mouth, hard so she had difficulty to breathe. She tried to resist but the man had a tight hold on her face. A pair of large strong hands pushed up her dress and gripped her thighs. He forced her to the ground so she landed on her back with a dull thud while the other man held her hands above her head.  
While she was winded, her eyes widened: it was Arthur and Eric – two men her deceased master, Gerald, had ordered her to sleep with not long after she lost her memory. When she regained her breath, she fought and screamed as the man she knew to be Arthur fumbled with his trousers. He looked to be in roughly his fifties.  
"Oh, come on, girl, you know you want it. You're a hussy, after all."  
"You have a wife!" Alice cried indignantly.  
Arthur ignored her and she violently tossed her head as he removed her pinafore dress and blouse. Alice squeezed her eyes shut, wishing Arthur and Eric would just disappear. She remembered Eric to be rather weak but his hold on her wrists contradicted that. Where had he got his newfound strength?  
After being taken against her will so many times, she still had tears stain her face every time she was forced. Try though she did, the tears never stopped.

Alice waited with bated breath for the fat old pig to thrust into her.  
Nothing happened.  
Grunts and the sound of struggle were to be heard instead. No weight was on top of her anymore and Eric was no longer holding her wrists.  
Alice slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she did. The young man who'd got her out of the grim dark cell earlier had seized Arthur by the throat. It looked like he was hissing threats at him. Eric looked like he was about to take him down but when the young man spun round, with only that one warning look in his green eyes, Eric took a tentative step back.  
The young man's eyes caught Alice's once he released Arthur and he beckoned her with his hand to get behind him. After gathering up her blouse and dress, she hurried behind him and he shielded her from the men's eyes.  
"Oh, come now, Alice. Come back and have some fun. You know we were just playing," Eric said with a lewd expression in his dark eyes.  
Tom frowned and glanced at the woman behind him. The name ignited something inside and a look of comprehension dawned on his face.  
Finally, after collecting his thoughts, he turned back to face the men, eyes ablaze.  
"You both make me sick and deserve to rot in prison. However, I gather you have families that need support, so I'll let you go this time. I'll forget I ever saw you and don't expect to see or hear you've harassed another woman ever again. Do I make myself clear?"  
The men shot Tom a deadly glare. If looks could kill, theirs would be lethal. But, they backed away without a reply.

By now, Alice had put her blouse and pinafore dress back on, the thin shawl wrapped up in her arm. When Tom turned to her, realising she must be freezing, he wrapped his dark cloak around her shoulders.  
Her big brown eyes locked with his gaze. His eyes were a mysterious green and seemed to remind her of someone she'd once known.

Tom guided her back out of the alley and through the village.  
"Where are we going?"  
"There's a farm past the village. You'll be safe there."  
His arm rested around her shoulders protectively and she made no move to protest. He knew who she was now but he had to tread carefully here; she certainly hadn't recognised him. As time had been a little kind to him, it had done the complete opposite for her. His heart ached at how worn and defeated she looked.

Neither said a word on the way and, when they arrived, Tom took Alice into the barn. He took her up into the hayloft that no one ever used and spread out a blanket he'd spotted for her.  
"Sleep for a while, you must be exhausted. I'll find a dress and some food for you."  
His hand, uncontrollably, tentatively reached up to her face and brushed a strand of black hair out of her eyes. She didn't push him away, her eyes locked with his, her mouth opened slightly in surprise. He pulled his hand away quickly, unwilling to frighten her, and climbed back down the ladder, leaving her to settle on the blanket and sleep.

When he entered the house, Tom glanced from left to right and right to left on his way up to check if anyone was coming. He felt horrible stealing from Jack's wife but he couldn't tell them he'd brought the same girl Jack disapproved of home with him, not to mention that she was in the barn.  
He eventually made it to Jack and Ellie's room. But, as his hand rested on the door handle, he heard Mary's voice behind him.  
"Uncle Tom, what are you doing outside of mammy's and daddy's bedroom?"  
Tom's head leaned forward to touch the door in defeat.  
"Mary…I need your help."

Tom waited in his room, on his bed, biting his lip. There was no doubt in his mind Mary would tell her parents, he just knew she would.  
Nevertheless, she returned with a simple dress thrown over her arm. She handed it to Tom and he took it, giving her a grateful smile.  
"Are you sure she won't miss it?"  
Mary shook her head.  
"She must have one dress for each week in there at least. Besides, if your friend doesn't have anything to wear, mammy would be happy to lend it to her anyway."  
Mary did have a point. Her mother was that sort of person but it was Jack Tom was most worried about. Fortunately, Tom had avoided telling his niece that his 'friend' was Alice Deane from Pendle.  
"Give me some time, Mary. I promise, I won't keep this from everyone for too long." He didn't expect he'd be able to – someone in the village would tell Jack or James if he didn't soon.  
Mary placed a finger on her lips and winked.  
"I won't, Uncle Tom, I promise."  
With that, Tom got to his feet, leaned down and hugged his niece with appreciation. Once she'd kissed his cheek, he left the dress on the bed and snuck down into the kitchen to get some food and put it on a tray while Mary headed for the living room.

The food and dress set down on the bed, Tom walked back out to the barn. There, he watched the young woman sleep, pondering. Despite how filthy she was now, he realised who she was and felt love rush through his blood like a crushing wave. He wondered why he hadn't recognised her when he first saw her after their second enforced separation (first one being the time his deceased master, John Gregory, had banished her from Chipenden).  
Any other girl next to the dormant young woman would look ordinary. With her high cheekbones, and as Tom remembered her vivacious eyes before this recent separation, he thought she was spectacularly beautiful. Looking at her now, he wondered how on Earth he could have forgotten her in the first place. His Alice. The love of his life…sold by his arch nemesis. And what life had done to her!  
Tom's eyes travelled over her body, clothed in a ripped dress with a thin shawl folded under her head in place of a pillow. She looked like life itself had abandoned her and that made his heart throb. Never had Alice surrendered, no matter how bleak the situation seemed. She'd lost that determination she possessed that made her glow.  
Suddenly, he noticed her skirt had ridden up her leg, the tantalising flesh exposed a little. He bit his lip, forcing himself not to react and respect her privacy. He had to remind himself she still didn't recognise him.  
As if it suddenly hit him, Tom got to his feet and stepped back. It wasn't just Alice. He'd also forgotten his life: who he was and he would've stayed that way had Jenny not been a loyal friend as well as an ex-apprentice and found him. The portal Lukrasta, that bastard, had thrown him through had made him forget everything!  
Tom Ward had forgotten about his time as John Gregory's apprentice, his own time as a spook and his time training Jenny Calder. Most important of all, he'd forgotten Alice, his best friend and then his lover. How? How could he have forgotten it all? He couldn't comprehend any of it. So what if he'd been thrown through a portal and landed in his house up on Anglezarke Moor? Tom had gone through too much with Alice and nothing should've made him forget about her and the times they'd shared together. Absolutely nothing.  
These thoughts whirled through his mind as he left the barn again and crept back into the house to draw Alice a bath.

When he was caught leaving again by his family in the living room, after everyone had heard him run the bathwater, Tom had to lie and claim the bath was for him, only he'd left something outside. Fortunately, it looked like they all believed him and so, relief washing over him, Tom left for the barn once more to get Alice.

Once he'd returned to her side, Tom leaned down and softly stroked Alice's hair, causing her to stir in her sleep. He quickly withdrew his hand, cursing himself for being so stupid; had she woken up, the act would surely have scared her.  
As he thought about it, Tom came to realise that maybe the trauma she'd experienced had made her want to block out everything, therefore forget even the precious moments they'd shared. As for Tom, it was simply the side effects of the portal he'd been tossed through.

Slowly, Alice opened her eyes and Tom came into her view.  
"I drew you a bath in my family's house and I've put the dress for you to change into and the food in my room. My family don't know you're here so we'll need to be quiet. Did you sleep well?"  
"Bit too well, I think. Had the same dream I always have, no matter where I am; where, for a moment, I'm…happy."  
"What was it about?"  
"A kind-hearted boy who sees a good side to me when I think there ain't one," she said plainly.  
"That sounds like a wonderful dream."  
Alice nodded.  
"A handsome boy, he is. Deals with the dark and takes me with him. Protects me, he does, and his presence makes me forget."  
Her eyes flew to him, aware she'd said too much and cast her eyes down to the floor as she sat up. Happiness soared through Tom but he said nothing. Instead, he helped her to her feet and guided her out of the barn.

They snuck through the house and up the stairs. Tom closed the door behind Alice as she walked into the room to take a bath. He stood just by the door for a minute, hearing her give a deep sigh as she soaked. Shaking himself off, he waited until she opened the door and stepped out with a towel wrapped around her thin form.  
He led the way into his room where food on a tray and a dress spread out on the bed were waiting.

The sight of her, as he looked back at her and gestured to invite her to change into the dress and eat, took his breath away. Now that she was clean, he could see traces of the Alice he remembered. Her hair had grown longer and was still black. Her pale skin was rosy from the hot water, yet her brown eyes were no longer vivacious but clouded. Despite that last feature that had changed, Tom still thought her the most beautiful woman in the world.  
Her mouth watered at the delicious food Tom had brought up and set down on the bed.  
Tom averted his eyes as she changed into the dress.  
When he turned back round as she sat down on the bed and ate, it pained him to see just how thin she'd become. It was clear as day that life hadn't been kind to Alice since she was cruelly snatched from him.  
He absent-mindedly continued to watch her and she didn't notice until she'd finished eating. She wanted to ask why he was staring but instead, found herself locking eyes with him and she felt a sense of confusion.  
"Your eyes…green, they are. It's like they remind me of someone I knew once…"  
Unable to take anymore, Tom walked over and knelt in front of Alice, taking her hands in his own after taking the tray away from the bed. She made no attempt to pull away.  
"Alice," he said softly.  
She yanked her hands away, but not because he said her name. It was the way he was saying it, like they were old friends or something.  
She gasped.  
"You must be mistaking me for some-"  
"Alice, we did know each other. As insane as this sounds, we actually forgot…"  
"I'm certain I ain't met a Tom Ward before…"  
His hand cupped her chin and she gulped as his thumb brushed across her lips, trailing across to her cheek. Her eyes widened, her mouth opening but she couldn't find words. She tried to look away but Tom was holding her chin firmly, yet gently.  
"Alice…remember me, please…come back to me…"  
Brought to believe this could be the only way, Tom leaned up and connected his lips with hers. Alice's eyes widened even more, shocked, for but a moment before they lazed closed, her fingers going to his chin as she kissed him back.  
When their lips separated, she, almost, whispered slowly, "Tom Ward."  
Tom's heart nearly stopped at the sound of his name coming from her lips. Memories came flooding back. She repeated it, this time a little louder.  
"Tom…I've missed you so much," she sighed and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately.  
Tom responded as though something had erupted inside him and his hands went to her wet hair while she moaned into his mouth as he leaned forward to lower her back onto the bed, climbing on top of her in the process. Wanting to feel that soft skin of hers again, he unbuttoned the front of the bodice and slid the dress down her body, flinging it aside. She made quick work of his shirt, pulling it over his head, and threw it away from the bed. Alice fell weak at the sight of the body above her and she blushed, her hands going to his shoulders.  
"Tom, you know what sort of life I was sentenced to. Even before that I was forced to do things you would never be able to imagine. Don't deserve someone like you, I don't. Deserve someone untainted and untouched, you do, 'cos I've been living the life of a whore."  
He shook his head.  
"You are more than perfect for me. I don't care who forced you to sleep with them. It couldn't be helped and you did what you must to survive. You will always be mine, Alice Deane, we were made for each other and I think it was destiny that brought us together."  
Adoration brightened her eyes as if she'd come back to life and her hands left his shoulders to pull his lips to hers, frantically swallowing his kisses. Her deft hands caressed his body, making him shiver. His hands travelled over her slender curves, stopping to hover over her breasts. Hesitation masked his face as his eyes skimmed the welts and bruises covering her pale skin. His eyes then met her gaze sympathetically while biting his lip.  
Alice, then, recalled the first time they'd joined as one, how hesitant he'd looked that time too.  
"Alice, I don't want to hurt you…"  
"Forget it, Tom, make me yours again, please! All I want to remember now is you."  
Her longing voice made him feel more vulnerable. He leaned back down to capture her lips again, this time sliding his tongue to join hers in a furious dance. Without breaking the kiss, Alice reached down and had his trousers off in but a second. Tom settled between her legs and not wasting so much as a second, thrust into her. Finally breaking the kiss, she threw her head back, her eyes closed as her thighs squeezed about his waist and her legs wrapped around the backs of his thighs, bringing him in deeper.  
His arms supported him either side of her as his thrusts quickened. Her nails raked along his back and he threw his head back in pleasure.  
He wanted to feel her even closer and so, pulling out for a moment, he switched their positions before he sat up, leaning against the bedstead as he pulled her further along his lap.  
They moaned deeply as she was impaled on him, wrapping her legs around his back.  
Tom kissed her neck and shoulders, groaning as they joined together once again. The feeling was incredible; Tom knew that even though she'd been forced to pleasure some brutal men, she wanted this and of course, he wanted her.  
"How I've missed you," he whispered and she responded by hungrily devouring his mouth.  
He bucked his hips forward, thrusting up into her. She met his thrusts with yearning. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist as she threw her head back.  
Tom was given a marvellous view of her body. He worshipped her with his tongue. While he thrust into Alice, he sucked at her breast. When her hand went to the back of Tom's head, he thanked the high heavens he'd found her again, vowing to never let her go ever again. He felt whole once more, the pieces finally falling into place.

Alice shuddered as she reached her peak. With one final thrust, they came together after so long. She rested her head on his shoulder.  
He held her close to him, his hand running gently along her back.  
"I can't believe you found me," she remarked quietly.  
He pulled her away from him slightly so he could look into her eyes.  
"I will always find you, no matter what life throws at us. I'll never leave you, Alice, because I love you."  
Alice's eyes widened at the words. Even though she'd known that for quite some time, it was a big shock to actually hear Tom say it.  
Tom smiled and kissed her again.  
"I wish I'd told you every day that I could, Alice. I love you better than my own soul and I realise now that…I always have. It's my love for you – that need to see your face every day – that's kept me going all this time. Even when I forgot who I was completely, I saw you in my sleep and when we met again, your face made me remember it all."  
"I love you too," Alice managed in a trembling voice, tears streaming down her face. "Had to see you too, Tom, in that time we were apart. So I willed us to meet in our sleep…but you didn't remember me. Despite the pain I felt from that, I continued to exert my power to see you 'cos I still needed to see your face: the face of the boy I fell in love with as a twelve year-old girl."  
He wiped her tears away with his thumb and kissed her again. He guessed it was a little comforting to know she didn't lose her memory straight away like him – or they'd have been apart for longer.

Settling down on the bed, Tom pulled Alice close and our two lovers slipped off to a peaceful sleep, clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. Maybe, just maybe, their lives would...sooner or later.


End file.
